Allahabad High Court High Court

Than Singh vs State Of U.P. And Another on 10 May, 2010

Allahabad High Court
Than Singh vs State Of U.P. And Another on 10 May, 2010
Court No. - 26

Case :- WRIT - A No. - 51239 of 2007

Petitioner :- Than Singh
Respondent :- State Of U.P. And Another
Petitioner Counsel :- Murtaza Ali,O.P. Singh,V.Gautam
Respondent Counsel :- C.S.C.,S.P. Kesharwani

Hon'ble Amreshwar Pratap Sahi,J.

Heard Shri Gautam Chaudhary learned counsel for the petitioner and

learned Standing Counsel for the State-respondents.

The petitioner was a Class-III employee in the Excise Department and is

claiming promotion as an Excise Inspector under the U.P. Subordinate

Excise Service Rules 1992. The said post is to be filled up by promotion

from the Ministerial Cadre and the criteria for promotion is seniority

subject to rejection of unfit.

The respondents have come out with a case that the petitioner was

considered by the Departmental Promotion Committee in his category

and he was found unfit for being promoted as Excise Inspector on the

ground that he was awarded an adverse entry on 5th September 2005.

This was done on account of an alleged lapse on the part of the petitioner

while preparing results of the Class-III examinations of the department.

The petitioner represented against the same and also filed a writ petition

before this Court being Writ Petition No. 16547/2006 which was

disposed of on 27.3.2006 with a direction to consider his representation

against the adverse entry as also his request for promotion.
The aforesaid request of the petitioner is stated to have been considered

by the Committee once again on 7.8.2007. A perusal of the said

proceedings filed along with the counter affidavit as Annexure CA 3

indicates the consideration of his candidature as also the representation

against the adverse entry. The Committee has recorded that the petitioner

had taken a plea that on account of a large volume of work, with which

the petitioner was overloaded, there might have been some error in the

preparation of the results of the Class-III examinations for which the then

alleged higher Officials had made an oral promise that they would get the

said adverse entry dated 5.9.2005 rectified. In my opinion, there is

nothing to indicate that there was any oral promise made by any higher

Officials and even otherwise the petitioner should not have relied upon

any such promise having been made by the Officer. Nonetheless taking

into consideration his representation against the said adverse entry, the

authority has promoted the petitioner as Office Superintendent finding

him fit for the said post. In essence, the respondents have granted the

benefit of promotion to the petitioner by taking into consideration the

representation which was made by him and which was directed to be

considered by this Court vide order dated 27.3.2006. The petitioner on

his own has not accepted that post. The said offer according to the

learned Standing Counsel is still open to the petitioner provided the post

is also available for being filled in the said category.
This Court after having examined the facts does not find any discrepancy

in the departmental proceeding as subsequently the petitioner’s request

has been accepted.

Learned counsel for the petitioner relied on the circular dated 20.3.2007.

This circular would cannot apply retrospectively at least in relation to the

selections which were held prior to that as the adverse entry was made in

2005. It appears that the petitioner’s claim was reconsidered after the said

circular was brought into force. The respondent authorities have ignored

the said adverse entry and have then proceeded to promote the petitioner.

Accordingly, the petition is disposed of with a direction to consider the

offer of the petitioner to join as Office Superintendent provided the post

is available in his category.

Order Date :- 10.5.2010
Puspendra