Court No. - 33
Case :- WRIT - A No. - 17948 of 2018 Petitioner :- Tejpal Singh Respondent :- State Of U.P. And 5 Others Counsel for Petitioner :- Satya Prakash Singh,Bajrang Bahadur Singh Counsel for Respondent :- C.S.C.,Babu Ram Verma,Babu Ram Verma
Hon'ble Ashwani Kumar Mishra,J.
Petitioner's claim for payment of pension has been rejected by the Deputy Director of Education, Meerut on the ground that petitioner's services are only of two years nine days and, therefore, falls short of the qualifying services required for payment of pension.
Record reveals that petitioner was initially appointed as Assistant Teacher in LT Grade on 01.09.1995. The appointment was also approved on 11.08.1995. The services of petitioner came to be regularized under Section 33 (G) of U.P. Act No. 5 of 1982 on 22nd October, 2016 w.e.f. 22.03.2016. The petitioner, thereafter, attained the age of superannuation on 31st March, 2018. For the payment of pension to the petitioner, the respondent authorities have restricted the petitioner's working only w.e.f. 22nd March, 2016 to 31st March, 2018.
Counsel for the petitioner places reliance upon the provisions of Rule 19(b) of Uttar Pradesh State Aided Educational Institution Employees Contributory Provident Fund Insurance Pension Rules, 1964 to submit that services rendered on adhoc basis is also liable to be counted towards qualifying services for payment of pension to the petitioner.
Controversy in that regard has already been considered by this Court in Writ-A No. - 25431 of 2018, wherein the following observations have been made:
"Learned counsel for the petitioner places reliance upon the provisions contained under Rule 19(b) of the Rules of 1964, which is reproduced hereafter:-.
"(b) Continuous temporary or officiating service followed without interruption by confirmation in the same or another post shall also count as qualifying service.
Rule 3 of 1964 Rules clearly provides that these Rules shall apply to permanent employees serving in the State aided educational institution of the category specified thereunder, be it run by a local body or a private management, if it is recognized by the competent authority for the purposes of extending of grant-in- aid. It is not in issue that the provisions of Rules of 1964 are attracted in the facts of the present case, inasmuch as the Institution is a recognized Institution, wherein salary is being extended to teaching and non-teaching staff by the State by virtue of the provisions contained in the Act of 1971. On the date of his retirement, petitioner was a permanent employee serving in aided educational institution, which is recognized by a competent authority for the purposes of aid. Rule 19(b) of the Act would clearly come to the rescue of the petitioner, inasmuch as it clearly provides that continuous temporary or officiating service followed without interruption by confirmation in the same or another post, shall also count as qualifying service. Petitioner's engagement from 1996 till 2016, when she was regularized, would be treated as continuous temporary service followed without interruption by confirmation on same post. The adhoc continuance followed with regularisation, therefore would be covered within the ambit and scope of Rule 19- B of the 1964 rules, and therefore, such period would have to be counted towards qualifying service for the purposes of payment of pension etc.
Learned Standing Counsel has not placed any provision whereunder the Rules of 1964 have either been rescinded, modified or substituted by any other provision and the Rules of 1964 therefore continues to remain in force.
So far as the Government Order relied upon by learned Standing Counsel is concerned, it is settled that in hierarchy of laws a statutory Rule would stand at a higher pedestal than a Government instructions. Once the statutory Rules of 1964 remains in force and is attracted in the facts of the present case, the provisions of the Rules cannot be by passed merely by relying upon a Government instructions. The defence set up by the respondents, therefore to non suit the petitioner cannot be sustained. It appears that though U.P. Retirement Benefits Rules, 1961 and other like provisions were amended w.e.f. 1.4.2005, but no such amendment has been incorporated in the Rules of 1964. As a consequence, the benefits admissible under the Rules of 1964 would continue to be applicable upon teachers, who are covered thereunder.
The view, which this Court proposes to take, is also supported by a judgment of the Division Bench in Special Appeal (Defective) No. 678 of 2013 State of U.P. through its Secretary Secondary Education vs. Mangali Prasad Verma and two others, wherein the benefit under the Rules of 1964 have been made applicable upon the respondents therein. Relevant portion of the judgment of the Division Bench is reproduced thereinafter:-
"We may, however, clarify that the Government Order dated 28.1.2004 which was so heavily relied upon by the State Government does not alter the legal position in any manner inasmuch as, the applicability of Rules 1964 is not depended upon any declaration being made by the Governor or by the State Government. If a teacher was working in an aided institution prior to the date of his retirement provisions of rules 1964 become applicable by operation of law. The manner of counting the qualifying service stands explained under the Government Order dated 26.7.2001.
We may also clarify that the teachers and employees of institutions which are brought on the grant-in-aid for the first time on or subsequent to 1.4.2005 would be covered by the new scheme enforced on 1.4.2005 and this judgment will have no application in their case.
We may notice that similar view has taken by the Division Bench of this Court in the case of State of U.P. And 6 Ors Vs. Shir Krishna Prasad Yadav and 13 Ors being Special No.228 of 2016 decided on 24.5.2017.
In view of the aforesaid, we find no illegality in the judgment and order of the learned Single Judge, it is accordingly, affirmed. The Appeal is Dismissed."
In view of the discussions aforesaid, it is clear that petitioner is entitled to pensionary benefits under the Rules of 1964 and for such purposes the adhoc continuance from 1996-2016 followed with regularization would have to be counted towards qualifying service for sanction and fixation of pension. A mandamus is issued accordingly to the respondents for grant of pensionary benefits to the petitioner. Necessary order in that regard could be passed by the competent authority within a period of three months. All consequential benefits would also be extended to the petitioner within a further period of two months thereafter."
A Special Appeal filed against the aforesaid judgement being Special Appeal Defective No. - 181 of 2020 has also been dismissed.
The claim of the petitioner for payment of pension by counting the adhoc services rendered by him is required to be considered in light of the above observations. Such considerations shall be made by the 2nd respondent within a period of three months next from the date of presentation of a copy of this order. The order impugned in the writ petition shall abide by the order to be passed by the Regional Joint Director of Education, Meerut Region, Meerut, as directed above.
This writ petition is disposed of in terms of the aforesaid directions.
Order Date :- 25.10.2021 Brijesh Maurya