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PETITIONER: JASWANT SINGH & ANR

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: THE STATE OF PUNJAB

DATE OF JUDGMENT:       23/09/1996

BENCH: K. RAMASWAMY, G.B.PATTANAIK

ACT:

HEADNOTE:

JUDGMENT:                          O R D E R      Leave granted.      We have heard learned counsel for the parties.      These appeals  by special leave arise from the judgment of the  Punjab and Haryana High made on July 18, 1995 in CWP Nos.3020 and 3027 of 1994.      The appellants  were appointed  as  drivers.  while  in service, they  became blind  and, therefore, they sought for alternative appointment.  Instead, they  were  removed  from service. The  controversy is  no longer  res  integra.  This court in  Anand Bihari  vs. Rajasthan S.R.T.C. [(1991) 1 SCC 731] had considered the controversy in similar circumstances and  issued   directions  for   alternative  appointment  as indicated in paragraph 15 of the judgment.      "In view  of the helplessness shown      by   the    corporation,   we   are      constrained  to   evolve  a  scheme      which according  to us,  would give      relief as  best as  it can  to  the      workmen such  as the  ones involved      in the present case. While evolving      the   scheme    and   given   these      directions   we    concerned    are      incapacitated  to   work  only   as      drivers  and   are   not   rendered      incapable of  taking any  other job      either  in   the   Corporation   or      outside. Secondly,  the workmen are      at an  advanced age  of their  life      and it  would be difficult for them      to  get   a  suitable   alternative      employment outside. Thirdly, we are      also mindful  of the  fact that the      relief  made  available  under  the      scheme should  not be such as would      induce   the   workmen   to   feign      disability which,  in the  case  of      disability such as the present one,      viz, the development of a defective      eyesight, it  may be  easy  to  do.

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    Bearing in  mind all  the aforesaid      factors, we  direct the Corporation      as follows;      (i)  The   Corporation   shall   in           addition to giving each of the           retired workmen his retirement           benefits offer  him any  other           alternative job  which may  be           available  and   which  he  is           eligible to perform.      (ii) In  case no  such  alternative           job is  available, each of the           workmen shall  be  paid  along           with his  retirement benefits,           an   additional   compensatory           amount as follows;      (a)   Where the employee has put in           5 years  or less  than 5 years           service    the    amount    of           compensation     shall      be           equivalent  to  7day’s  salary           per  of  the  balance  of  his           service;      (b)   Where the employee has put in           more then  5  years  but  less           then  10  years,  service  the           amount of  compensation  shall           be  equivalent   to  15  days’           salary per year of the balance           of his service;      (c)  where the  employee has put in           more then  10 years’  but less           than  15  years’  service  the           amount of  compensation  shall           be  equivalent   to  21  days’           salary per year of the balance           of his service:      (d)   Where the employee has put in           more then  15 years  but  less           than 20  years’  service,  the           amount of  compensation  shall           be equivalent  to one  month’s           salary per year of the balance           of his service;      (e)  Where the  employee has put in           more than  20  years’  service           the  amount   of  compensation           shall  be  equivalent  in  two           months salary  per year of the           balance of his service.      The  salary  will  mean  the  total      monthly emoluments that the workman      was drawing  on  the  date  of  his      retirement.      (iii)If the  alternative job is not           available   immediately    but           becomes available  at a  later           date,  the   Corporation   may           offer  it   to   the   workman           provided   he    refunds   the           proportionate, shall  be  that           of the workman.      (iv) the option to accept either of           the   two   reliefs,   if   an           alternative job  is offered by

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         the Corporation, shall be that           of the workman. <SLE>      Under these circumstances, the appeals are allowed. The respondent  is   directed  to  consider  the  cases  of  the appellants for alternative appointment as and when vacancies arise. No costs.