Heard learned counsel for the parties.
The writ petition is being decided, on consent, without calling for counter affidavit.
Petitioner retired on attaining the age of superannuation on 31.03.2016 from the post of Assistant Teacher at Junior Basic School Beraich, Sadar, Ghazipur.
By means of the instant petition, petitioner seeks the following reliefs:
"i) Issue a writ order or direction in the nature of mandamus directing respondent no. 4 to take immediate steps for payment of arrears of salary to the petitioner from 01.07.2015 up till November, 2015 with interest at a rate to be specified by this Hon'ble Court.
ii) Issue a writ order or direction in the nature of mandamus directing the respondent no. 4 to grant one annual increment due in July 2015 to the petitioner and with consequential benefits."
This Court on 19th August, 2017 in an identical writ petition, being Writ-A No. 33360 of 2017 (Angad Yadav and others v. State of U.P. and others), which was filed by the similarly placed persons challenging the same impugned order and seeking similar and identical relief, has passed a detailed judgment and order allowing the writ petition. The operative portion of the judgment reads as under:
"Applying these principles on the facts of the present case, I find that the petitioners in terms of the change of the academic session, when admittedly their dates of superannuation fall during the academic session i.e. 01st April, 2015 to 31st March, 2016 as their dates of birth are 01.07.1953, 01.06.1953, 01.05.1953, 03.05.1953, 01.07.1953, 01.07.1953, 01.07.1953 and 15.05.1953 respectively, they were entitled for the sessional benefit and to continue upto 31st March, 2016. There was no fault on their part as they were not allowed to work after 30th June, 2015. A specific direction was issued not to allow them to continue beyond 30th June, 2015. The said direction, as mentioned above, was manifestly erroneous and contrary to the well settled practice and the relevant Rules to give the session benefit to such teachers whose date of superannuation falls during the academic session. The State Government has issued a Government Order dated 08th October, 2015 rectifying the said mistake, hence the Government Order dated 02nd May, 2017 that the teachers who were allowed to continue after the judgment of Ramesh Chandra Tiwari (supra) and the Government Order dated 08th October, 2015, will not be paid salary from 30th June, 2015 till their rejoining is arbitrary and unreasonable. When the Government itself had issued an order dated 08th October, 2015, there was no justification to issue the impugned order dated 02nd May, 2017, which is contrary to the law laid down by this Court in Ramesh Chandra Tiwari (supra). As noted above, the Division Bench has declared the Government Order dated 15th June, 2015 illegal.
Regard may be had to the fact that on the basis of the said order, the petitioners were denied sessional benefits. Once the said order was set aside, the petitioners became entitled to continue. The respondents have also allowed the petitioners to rejoin their position.
Therefore, in the said background and on a careful consideration of the entire facts and circumstances of the case, I am of the considered view that the impugned Government Order dated 02nd May, 2017 has to be set aside and is accordingly set aside. The petitioners are entitled for their salary from 30th June, 2015 till the date of their rejoining. Ordered accordingly.
Thus, the writ petition stands allowed."
I have heard learned counsel for the petitioner, learned Standing Counsel and learned counsel for the District Basic Education Officer. They are agreed that the facts of the present petition are identical to that of Angad Yadav (supra) and this writ petition may also be decided in the same terms.
In view of the above, the present writ petition is also allowed in the same terms as in Angad Yadav (supra).
Order Date :- 12.1.2021 Kuldeep