IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 4TH DAY OF DECEMBER, 2019 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE KRISHNA S.DIXIT WRIT PETITION NO. 18399 OF 2018 (S-RES) BETWEEN:
1. DR. SHIVAKANT N. KURBET S/O. SRI. NIRUPADAPPA. S. KURBET, AGED ABOUT 58 YEARS, R/O. PLOT NO. 27/1, NANDAGOKUL, 9TH CROSS, VIDYAGIRI, BAGALKOT-587 102.
2. DR. M. N. SHANMUKHA SWAMY S/O. LATE SRI. M. NAGALINGA SWAMY, AGED ABOUT 61 YEARS, R/O. DOOR NO. 1516, C & D BLOCK, ANIKETHANA ROAD, KUVEMPU NAGAR, MYSORE-570 023.
... PETITIONERS (BY SMT. VAISHALI HEGDE & K N PHANINDRA, ADVOCATES) AND:
1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA REP. BY THE SECRETARY, DEPARTMENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION, M.S. BUILDING, DR. AMBEDKAR ROAD, BANGALORE-560 001.
2. THE DIRECTOR DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL EDUCATION, PALACE ROAD, BANGALORE-560 001.
3. SRI. JACHAMARAJENDRA COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING REP BY ITS PRINCIPAL, MYSORE-570 006.
4. BASAVESHWAR ENGINEERING COLLEGE S. NIJALINGAPPA VIDYANAGAR, BAGALKOT-587 102, REP. BY ITS PRINCIPAL.
... RESPONDENTS (BY SRI. M V RAMESH JOIS, AGA FOR R1 & R2;
V.C.O DATED 22.07.2019; R3 IS DELETED; R4 SERVED) THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO DIRECT THE R1 AND 2 TO GIVE EFFECT TO THE DIRECTIONS ISSUED BY THIS HON’BLE COURT IN ITS ORDER DATED 16.06.2014 PASSED IN W.P.20039/2013 AND CONNECTED MATTERS AND CONFIRMED BY THE HON’BLE DIVISION BENCH BY IS ORDE DATED 22.09.2015 PASSED IN W.A.2983/2014 VIDE ANNX-A AND B.
THIS PETITION COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING IN ‘B’ GROUP THIS DAY, THE COURT MADE THE FOLLOWING:-
O R D E R All the petitioners being the Professors working in the respondents 3 & 4 institutions were before this Court earlier in W.P.No.20039/13 (S-Res) and connected matters which came to be favoured by a Co-ordinate Bench of this Court vide judgment dated 16.06.2014, a copy whereof is at Annexure-A wherein the operative portion reads as under:
“The writ petitions are allowed. The first respondent is directed to extend the pay-scale as provided in 2010 AICTE Regulations to the petitioners with effect from the date of appointment of the petitioners as expeditiously as possible and pass appropriate orders within 3 months from today. The petitioners are entitled to all consequential service and monetary benefits.”
2. This judgment was carried in W.A.Nos.2983/2014 and connected cases by the respondent-State Government which came to be negatived by a Division Bench of this Court vide judgment dated 22.09.2015, a copy whereof is at Annexure-D, wherein paras 5 & 6 read as under:
“5. Our understanding is that these writ petitioners are performing the same nature of duties that they were performing earlier and in addition thereto they are performing some more administrative work. They were basically teachers. They were granted the benefits of the fourth and the fifth pay commissions’ recommendations.
6. We do not see any error in the order of the Hon’ble Single Judge in directing the respondent No.1 to extend the benefits of the sixth pay commission recommendations to these petitioners.
We do not find any merits in these appeals.
All the appeals are dismissed.”
3. The matter was carried by the answering respondents herein in S.L.P.No.4832-4839/2016 which came to be dismissed by the Apex Court as withdrawn vide order dated 28.03.2016. Thus the writ issued by the Co- ordinate Bench of this Curt has attained finality but remains unobeyed, till date.
4. Presumably in compliance of the writ issued in the aforesaid cases, the 2nd respondent-Director vide letter dated 10.07.2017, a copy whereof is at Annexure-F informed the 1st respondent-Government that a sum of Rs.3,89,50,502/- (Rupees three crore eighty nine lakh fifty thousand five hundred and two) only has been released for paying to the petitioners and the persons alike, and that the remainder would be released in due course. A copy of the said letter was marked to the petitioners and the same is placed on record by their counsel vide Memo. The said letter reads as under:
“«µÀAiÀÄ: ²æà ²ªÀPÁAvï EªÀjUÉ JL¹nE ¨ÁQ ªÉÃvÀ£À ¥ÁªÀw¸ÀĪÀ §UÉÎ.
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10 C£ÀÄzÁ¤vÀ EAf¤AiÀÄjAUï PÁ¯ÉÃdÄUÀ½UÉ ¢:1-1-
2006 jAzÀ 31-3-2010 gÀªÀjV£À CªÀ¢üAiÀÄ 6 £Éà JL¹nE ¨ÁQ ªÉÃvÀ£ÀzÀ ªÉÆvÀÛªÀ£ÀÄß ¸ÀPÁðgÀ ºÀAvÀ ºÀAvÀªÁV MzÀV¸ÀÄwÛzÀÄÝ. G½zÀ ¨ÁQAiÀÄ£ÀÄß ¸ÀPÁðgÀ ªÀÄÄA¢£À ¢£ÀUÀ¼À°è MzÀV¸ÀĪÀ ¸ÀºÁAiÀÄ£ÀÄzÁ£ÀzÀ°è ©qÀÄUÀqÉ ªÀiÁqÀ¯ÁUÀĪÀÅzÀÄ.”
5. Despite the aforesaid letter, the petitioners complain in this writ petition, not even a leaf is turned and therefore in essence the writ obtained by the petitioners in the earlier round of litigation has been rendered futile because of the callous attitude of the answering respondents; therefore the petitioners have made the following prayer in their writ petition:
“ (i) Issue a Writ of Mandamus directing the 1st and 2nd respondent to give effect to the directions issued by the Hon’ble Court in its order dated 16th June 2014 passed in W.P. 20039/2013 and connected matters and confirmed by the Hon’ble Division Bench by is order dated 22nd September 2015 passed in Writ Appeal 2983/2014, vide Annexures A & B in the interest of justice and equity.
(ii) Issue a Writ of Mandamus or any other appropriate Writ or Order or Direction directing the Respondents Nos.1,2 & 4 to release the arrears due to the petitioners for the period from 01/04/2006 till 31/03/2010 with all other financial benefits forthwith along with interest at the rate of 18% as the respondents have deliberately chosen to ignore and violate the orders of this Hon’ble court as per Annexure F.”
6. After service of notice, the 1st respondent-State Government and the 2nd respondent-Director of DTE having entered appearance through the learned Addl. Govt. Advocate Sri Jois, do not oppose the writ petition. He fairly submits that it is true that the petitioners are entitled to the relief they have claimed for; there are some financial and administrative difficulties in ensuring the fruits of earlier legal battle and therefore if some reasonable time is prescribed, the respondent shall implement the intent and content of the subject letter dated 10.07.2017. This stand of the respondents is fair & reasonable.
In the above circumstances, this writ petition succeeds; a Writ of Mandamus issues to respondents 1 & 2 to implement the letter dated 10.07.2017 at Annexure-F by releasing to the petitioners the amount that has accrued due between the period between 01.01.2006 and 31.03.2010, within five months.
It is made clear that if this judgment is not implemented within the above prescribed period, the petitioners shall be entitled to interest on the amount payable at the rate of 12% per annum from the date of the judgment itself and this interest amount shall be recovered from the erring officials responsible for the delay.
Now, no costs.
Sd/- JUDGE Snb/