{"id":46329,"date":"2008-11-19T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2008-11-18T18:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/ms-laxmi-rattan-cotton-mills-ltd-vs-state-of-u-p-ors-on-19-november-2008"},"modified":"2017-06-22T04:46:36","modified_gmt":"2017-06-21T23:16:36","slug":"ms-laxmi-rattan-cotton-mills-ltd-vs-state-of-u-p-ors-on-19-november-2008","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.legalindia.com\/judgments\/ms-laxmi-rattan-cotton-mills-ltd-vs-state-of-u-p-ors-on-19-november-2008","title":{"rendered":"M\/S. Laxmi Rattan Cotton Mills Ltd vs State Of U.P. &amp; Ors on 19 November, 2008"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"docsource_main\">Supreme Court of India<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_title\">M\/S. Laxmi Rattan Cotton Mills Ltd vs State Of U.P. &amp; Ors on 19 November, 2008<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_author\">Author: S.B. Sinha<\/div>\n<div class=\"doc_bench\">Bench: S.B. Sinha, Cyriac Joseph<\/div>\n<pre>                                                                     REPORTABLE\n\n                  IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA\n\n                  CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION\n\n               CIVIL APPEAL NO. 6710              OF 2008\n              [Arising out of SLP (Civil) No. 16653 of 2006]\n\n\nM\/s. Laxmi Rattan Cotton Mills Ltd.                    ...Appellant\n\n                                      Versus\n\nState of U.P. &amp; Ors.                                   ...Respondents\n\n\n\n\n                              JUDGMENT\n<\/pre>\n<p>S.B. SINHA, J :\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>1.    Leave granted.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>2.    Principles governing grant of back wages is the question involved in<\/p>\n<p>this appeal which arises out of a judgment and order dated 17.07.2006<\/p>\n<p>passed by the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad in Civil Misc. Writ<\/p>\n<p>Petition No. 22003 of 1999.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                     2<\/span><\/p>\n<p>3.    Appellant used to run a cotton mill. It was taken over in 1976 by<\/p>\n<p>National Textile Corporation which was established by the Central<\/p>\n<p>Government for augmenting the textile sector and to ensure and facilitate<\/p>\n<p>the production and distribution of cloth at affordable price.<\/p>\n<p>4.    Respondent Nos. 2, 7, 5, 3, 4 and 6 were engaged as trainee<\/p>\n<p>investigators on the basis of the applications submitted to the General<\/p>\n<p>Manager of the Mills on 29.07.1980, 10.03.1981, 21.11.1980, 02.01.1981,<\/p>\n<p>10.01.1981 and 30.03.1981, respectively.       Appointments were made on<\/p>\n<p>monthly stipends.      One of the terms and conditions in the letter of<\/p>\n<p>engagement as a trainee investigator reads, thus:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>               &#8220;4. That the management shall have no obligation<br \/>\n               whatsoever to provide you any job in these Mills<br \/>\n               after completion of the said period of training.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>5.    Although no assurance was given to them that on completion of the<\/p>\n<p>training they would be appointed as trainee investigator, they were<\/p>\n<p>appointed as clerks. Allegedly, at that point of time, only the posts of clerks<\/p>\n<p>were vacant.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                    3<\/span><\/p>\n<p>      Some of the terms of their appointments read as under:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>            &#8220;1. That you shall be paid a basic salary of Rs.<br \/>\n            120\/- per month in the scale of Rs. 120-8-160-10-<br \/>\n            200-EB-13-265-16-345-EB-20-445-24-517.             In<br \/>\n            addition you will be paid other allowances as<br \/>\n            applicable to other temporary clerks of the Mills.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>            2.     That your appointment is for a period of six<br \/>\n            months on account of temporary exigency of work<br \/>\n            and after completion of which your service will<br \/>\n            stand automatically terminated. However, we<br \/>\n            reserve the right to terminate your service ever<br \/>\n            earlier at any time without assigning any reason<br \/>\n            and without any notice or payment in lieu thereof.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>            3.     That you will have to work against<br \/>\n            absenteeism\/ leave etc. amongst clerks in any of<br \/>\n            the departments\/ sections in the General Office as<br \/>\n            well as in the Mills.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>            4.     That your other terms and conditions of<br \/>\n            service will be governed by standing order<br \/>\n            applicable for clerks in this Mill.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>            5.     *** ***<\/p>\n<p>                  If the above offer is acceptable to you,<br \/>\n            please sign copy of this letter in token of your<br \/>\n            acceptance and report for joining immediately.&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>      They were offered the scale of pay applicable to a clerk.     They<\/p>\n<p>accepted the said post without any protest or demur. They were at a later<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                     4<\/span><\/p>\n<p>date made permanent clerks also. Yet again, they accepted the said status<\/p>\n<p>without any demur whatsoever.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>      The Company, however, became sick in October, 1991. A reference<\/p>\n<p>was made to the Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction (BIFR)<\/p>\n<p>whereupon a proceeding was initiated. Eventually, the Mill was closed,<\/p>\n<p>upon obtaining an approval from the Central Government in terms of<\/p>\n<p>Section 25O of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947. Only after closure of the<\/p>\n<p>said Mills sometime in October, 1991, the concerned respondents raised a<\/p>\n<p>demand through a Union known as Kapda Mills Karamchari Sangh on<\/p>\n<p>1.02.1992 seeking for the post of investigators and that too from the date of<\/p>\n<p>their initial appointment with arrears and difference in pay.<\/p>\n<p>      Pursuant to and in furtherance of the said demand, the State of Uttar<\/p>\n<p>Pradesh, in exercise of its power conferred upon it under Section 4(k) of the<\/p>\n<p>U.P. Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 made a reference for adjudication thereof<\/p>\n<p>before the Tribunal by a notification dated 2.04.1993, which reads as under:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>             &#8220;Whether giving the designation of clerk and pay<br \/>\n             scale to its 6 workmen mentioned in enclosed<br \/>\n             Schedule, after imparting training of Investigator<br \/>\n             to them, is appropriate and legal? If not then what<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                     5<\/span><\/p>\n<p>            kind of relief, the concerned employees are<br \/>\n            entitled to get? From which date with any other<br \/>\n            detail?&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>6.    Before the Tribunal, the respondents sought for a direction for<\/p>\n<p>appointment in the post of investigators from the date of their initial<\/p>\n<p>appointment.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>7.    Appellant in its written statement inter alia denied or disputed that the<\/p>\n<p>Union at any point of time had made any demand or representation in regard<\/p>\n<p>to the change of the status of the said employees. It was contended that the<\/p>\n<p>Management was not bound to provide any employment to the respondents,<\/p>\n<p>upon completion of the terms of their training. The fact that the production<\/p>\n<p>of the Mill was lying closed was also brought to the notice of the Tribunal.<\/p>\n<p>      Furthermore, it was urged that any fresh financial burden would have<\/p>\n<p>adverse effect on the industry as any wage revision had been barred.<\/p>\n<p>8.    The Industrial Court, however, by reason of an award dated 3.11.1988<\/p>\n<p>directed:\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                    6<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote><p>            &#8220;&#8230;It is beyond comprehension as to how the<br \/>\n            workmen concerned even after completion of a<br \/>\n            successful training period would prefer to be<br \/>\n            appointed for a lower post carrying less wages&#8230;<br \/>\n            For the sake of argument if it is assumed that no<br \/>\n            posts of investigators were available at the time of<br \/>\n            completion of their training then in the event of<br \/>\n            vacancy, the plaintiffs would have been given<br \/>\n            preference for appointment to the post of<br \/>\n            investigators&#8230;&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>      It was held:\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>                    &#8220;15. Therefore, I order that the plaintiffs be<br \/>\n            treated as senior on the post of investigator to Sh.<br \/>\n            Sunil Kumar Chaurasiya in the pay scale of Rs.<br \/>\n            330-560 from the date of absorption and in the<br \/>\n            scale of Rs. 1400-2300 w.e.f. 31.12.95 and<br \/>\n            thereafter in the pay scale of Rs. 4500-7000\/-. The<br \/>\n            plaintiffs are to be fixed in the pay scale of Rs.<br \/>\n            330-560 w.e.f. 9.3.82 and subsequent fixation of<br \/>\n            pay from different dates in the revised scales of<br \/>\n            pay and they will be paid the difference of pay as<br \/>\n            arrears but due to delayed raising of the matter\/<br \/>\n            litigation the plaintiffs will be eligible to draw<br \/>\n            difference of pay from the date of reference of<br \/>\n            matter to the Court. They shall also be entitled of<br \/>\n            Central D.A. for the post of investigator.&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>9.    A writ petition preferred thereagainst has been dismissed by the High<\/p>\n<p>Court by reason of the impugned judgment.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                     7<\/span><\/p>\n<p>      During pendency of the writ application, however, subsequent events<\/p>\n<p>took place, which have been brought to the notice of this Court, by reason<\/p>\n<p>of a supplementary affidavit filed on 25.04.2005, that the respondents, in the<\/p>\n<p>meanwhile pursuant to a scheme floated for voluntary retirement scheme<\/p>\n<p>known as the Modified Voluntary Retirement Scheme, applied therefor and<\/p>\n<p>obtained compensation in the following terms:\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<pre>Sl. Name         of     the    Date        of Net amount Date       of\nNo. respondents                resignation    paid (Rs.) receipt\n1.  Sandip Kumar Bajpai        12-07-2002     2,95,090\/- 10-10-2003\n    (Res. No. 2)\n2.  Surendera       Ballab     12-07-2002       3,26,779\/-     29-05-2005\n    Goswami (Res. No. 3)\n3.  K.S. Usmani                12-07-2002       2,80,636\/-     15-03-2004\n    (Res. No. 4)\n4.  Ramendra        Prasad     12-07-2002       2,98,670\/-     10-10-2003\n    Sharma (Res. No. 5)\n5.  Shankar Pathak             12-07-2002       2,90,240\/-     31-10-2003\n    (Res. No. 6)\n6.  Ram Kewal Kanojia          12-07-2002       2,95,090\/-     10-10-2003\n    (Res. No. 7)\n\n\n\n\n<\/pre>\n<p>10.   By reason of the impugned judgment, however, the writ petition was<\/p>\n<p>dismissed opining that the award of the Industrial Tribunal was neither<\/p>\n<p>perverse nor suffered from any error apparent on the face of the record.<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                          8<\/span><\/p>\n<p>11.          Mr. Sanjay Ghosh, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the<\/p>\n<p>appellant, would submit:\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>      (i)      the respondents have not worked for a single day in the posts of<\/p>\n<p>               investigator;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>      (ii)     From October, 1991 and till the employees retired under the<\/p>\n<p>               voluntary retirement scheme in 2002, the Mill was lying closed<\/p>\n<p>               and, therefore, there was no requirement of any investigator.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>      (iii)    The National Textile Corporation is a sick industrial company and<\/p>\n<p>               its financial capacity or availability of post or requirements for job<\/p>\n<p>               by it had not been considered by the courts.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>      (iv)     Engagement of the respondents as trainees did not confer any right<\/p>\n<p>               on them to be appointed substantively against the post and in any<\/p>\n<p>               event, the concept of seniority in the posts of trainees is wholly<\/p>\n<p>               unknown.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>      (v)      A belated attempt to raise a dispute after ten years seeking<\/p>\n<p>               reclassification or redesignation of the post and that too from the<\/p>\n<p>               initial date of appointment was wholly unwarranted.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>      (vi)     The Industrial Court committed a serious error in directing the<\/p>\n<p>               appellant to grant a higher post and that too de&#8217;hors the rules,<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                      9<\/span><\/p>\n<p>           vacancies and requirements of the company. In any event, the<\/p>\n<p>           same could not have been granted with retrospective effect and<\/p>\n<p>           that too without taking into consideration the contentions raised by<\/p>\n<p>           the Management.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote><p>      (vii) The principles of &#8220;No Work No Pay&#8221; should have been applied in<\/p>\n<p>           the instant case.\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>12.     Mr. Bharat Sangal, learned counsel appearing on behalf of the<\/p>\n<p>respondents, on the other hand, would contend that the action on the part of<\/p>\n<p>the Management was wholly mala fide, in as much as the respondents had<\/p>\n<p>been making representations for a long time pointing out that in similar<\/p>\n<p>cases the trainees had been absorbed.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>        The learned counsel would contend that the fact that the appellant<\/p>\n<p>adopted a policy to absorb such trainees on the post of investigators having<\/p>\n<p>not been denied or disputed, the impugned judgment should not be<\/p>\n<p>interfered with.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>        As regards delay, Mr. Sangal would contend that in its award, the<\/p>\n<p>Industrial Court had not granted the entire back wages as it was directed<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                      10<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;due to delayed raising of the matter\/ litigation the plaintiffs will be eligible<\/p>\n<p>to draw difference of pay from the date of reference of matter to the Court&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>13.   The reference made by the appropriate government for adjudication<\/p>\n<p>of the industrial dispute by and between the parties relates to a purported<\/p>\n<p>legal right. Whether the respondents, thus, were entitled to be appointed as<\/p>\n<p>investigators was the question which should have been posed and answered<\/p>\n<p>by the Industrial Court. From the terms of offer of engagement issued in<\/p>\n<p>favour of the respondents, it is evident that their job as trainee investigators<\/p>\n<p>was temporary in nature. They were not conferred with any status. They<\/p>\n<p>were only engaged as trainee investigators. Their appointments had not<\/p>\n<p>been made in strict compliance of the constitutional scheme of equality<\/p>\n<p>contained in Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India. They were not<\/p>\n<p>even appointed as apprentices within the meaning of the provisions of the<\/p>\n<p>Apprentices Act, 1961.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>14.   Respondents were offered the posts of clerk which was accepted by<\/p>\n<p>them as the same were vacant. They had no legal right to be appointed as<\/p>\n<p>investigators. They accepted the said offer without any demur whatsoever.<\/p>\n<p>For a long time, no industrial dispute was raised nor any demand was made<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                     11<\/span><\/p>\n<p>by them or the Union on their behalf. The concerned respondents were not<\/p>\n<p>illiterate. They were aware of their rights. If they stood by for a long time,<\/p>\n<p>the doctrine of acquiescence and waiver would apply in their cases. In its<\/p>\n<p>award, as noticed hereinbefore, the Industrial Tribunal commented that<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;how the workmen concerned even after completion of a successful training<\/p>\n<p>period would prefer to be appointed for a lower post carrying less wages&#8221;,<\/p>\n<p>but that is a question which was required to be answered by the workmen as<\/p>\n<p>to why such offers were accepted.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>15.   It is one thing to say that the respondents were forced to accept<\/p>\n<p>appointment in lower posts although they were entitled for appointment to<\/p>\n<p>higher post, but, it is another thing to say that only because at a later point<\/p>\n<p>of time services of one gentleman were regularized in the post of<\/p>\n<p>investigator would itself be determinative of the factor that the action on the<\/p>\n<p>part of the employer was discriminatory and\/ or malafide in nature.<\/p>\n<p>      The opinion of the Industrial Court that even if no post of investigator<\/p>\n<p>was available, as soon as vacancy occurred the same should have been<\/p>\n<p>offered to the respondents cannot be held to be correct. We say so firstly<\/p>\n<p>because the respondents had no legal right to the said posts; secondly, if<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                      12<\/span><\/p>\n<p>they had accepted to work in the post of clerk for a long time, only because<\/p>\n<p>subsequently a vacancy arose, the same in law was not required to be<\/p>\n<p>offered to those who had taken training; and thirdly, only because the<\/p>\n<p>Management had spent some amount for their training, the same by itself is<\/p>\n<p>not a ground that they should have been absorbed as investigators.<\/p>\n<p>16.   The act of discrimination and\/ or inappropriate action on the part of<\/p>\n<p>the employer, if any, should have been the subject matter of a demand<\/p>\n<p>immediately after their appointment as clerks. They not only accepted their<\/p>\n<p>appointments to the post of clerk; as noticed hereinbefore, they were made<\/p>\n<p>permanent in the said post.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>      Another principle which was applicable in the instant case was also<\/p>\n<p>lost sight of by the Tribunal, viz., that Article 14 of the Constitution of India<\/p>\n<p>carries a positive concept and no equality can be claimed in illegality.<\/p>\n<p>      <a href=\"\/doc\/1305957\/\">In Mahendra L. Jain and Others v. Indore Development Authority and<\/p>\n<p>Others<\/a> [(2005) 1 SCC 639], this Court held:\n<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>             &#8220;19. The question, therefore, which arises for<br \/>\n             consideration is as to whether they could lay a<br \/>\n             valid claim for regularisation of their services. The<br \/>\n             answer thereto must be rendered in the negative.<br \/>\n             Regularisation cannot be claimed as a matter of<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                    13<\/span><\/p>\n<p>            right. An illegal appointment cannot be legalised<br \/>\n            by taking recourse to regularisation. What can be<br \/>\n            regularised is an irregularity and not an illegality.<br \/>\n            The constitutional scheme which the country has<br \/>\n            adopted does not contemplate any back-door<br \/>\n            appointment. A State before offering public<br \/>\n            service to a person must comply with the<br \/>\n            constitutional requirements of Articles 14 and 16<br \/>\n            of the Constitution. All actions of the State must<br \/>\n            conform to the constitutional requirements. A<br \/>\n            daily-wager in the absence of a statutory provision<br \/>\n            in this behalf would not be entitled to<br \/>\n            regularisation.&#8221;\n<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>[See also <a href=\"\/doc\/1806677\/\">M.P. Housing Board and Another v. Manoj Shrivastava<\/a> (2006) 2<\/p>\n<p>SCC 702, <a href=\"\/doc\/531760\/\">M.P. State Agro Industries Development Corpn. Ltd. and Another<\/p>\n<p>v. S.C. Pandey<\/a> (2006) 2 SCC 716, <a href=\"\/doc\/505590\/\">Indian Drugs &amp; Phrmaceuticals Ltd. v.<\/p>\n<p>Workmen, Indian Drugs &amp; Pharmaceuticals Ltd.<\/a> (2007) 1 SCC 408,<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/doc\/885748\/\">Gangadhar Pillai v. Siemens Ltd.<\/a> (2007) 1 SCC 533 and <a href=\"\/doc\/1783754\/\">C.S. Azad Krishi<\/p>\n<p>Evam Prodyogiki Vishwavidyalaya v. United Trades Congress and Anr.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>(2008) 2 SCC 552].\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>17.   The Industrial Court, unfortunately, did not deliberate upon any of the<\/p>\n<p>aforementioned issues which arose for its consideration. The High Court<\/p>\n<p>again failed to address itself the aforementioned principal issues. It merely<\/p>\n<p>endorsed the views of the Industrial Court without applying its mind<\/p>\n<p>independently.\n<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"hidden_text\">                                     14<\/span><\/p>\n<p>18.   We may also notice the subsequent events. A voluntary retirement<\/p>\n<p>scheme was floated. Respondents even while opting therefor stated their<\/p>\n<p>designations to be clerks. That may not be decisive but then it is at least a<\/p>\n<p>pointer to show that they had all along accepted the said position.<\/p>\n<p>19.   The Industrial Court as also the High Court furthermore failed and\/ or<\/p>\n<p>neglected to consider the fact that the time when the industrial dispute was<\/p>\n<p>raised, the Mill had already been closed.\n<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p>20.   There cannot be any doubt whatsoever that the Industrial Court in<\/p>\n<p>terms of Section 11A of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 exercises a wide<\/p>\n<p>discretion. But, such discretion must be exercised judiciously. All attempts<\/p>\n<p>must be made to strike a balance. Even otherwise grant of back wages and<\/p>\n<p>that too with retrospective effect may not be appropriate in all situations.<\/p>\n<p>21.   For the reasons aforementioned, the impugned judgment cannot be<\/p>\n<p>sustained which is set aside accordingly. However, if any sum has been<\/p>\n<p>paid to the workmen pursuant to the impugned award of the Tribunal and<\/p>\n<p>the judgment of the High Court, the same shall not be recovered. The<br \/>\n<span class=\"hidden_text\">                                     15<\/span><\/p>\n<p>appeal is allowed with the aforementioned directions. In the facts and<\/p>\n<p>circumstances of the case, there shall be no order as to costs.<\/p>\n<p>                                              &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;.J.\n<\/p>\n<p>                                              [S.B. Sinha]<\/p>\n<p>                                              &#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;&#8230;..J.\n<\/p>\n<p>                                              [Cyriac Joseph]<\/p>\n<p>New Delhi;\n<\/p>\n<p>November 19, 2008<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Supreme Court of India M\/S. Laxmi Rattan Cotton Mills Ltd vs State Of U.P. &amp; Ors on 19 November, 2008 Author: S.B. Sinha Bench: S.B. Sinha, Cyriac Joseph REPORTABLE IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION CIVIL APPEAL NO. 6710 OF 2008 [Arising out of SLP (Civil) No. 16653 of 2006] M\/s. Laxmi [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[30],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-supreme-court-of-india"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>M\/S. 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