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PETITIONER: MAHESH KUMAR MUDGIL

       Vs.

RESPONDENT: STATE OF UTTAR PRADESH & ORS.

DATE OF JUDGMENT:       08/12/1997

BENCH: SUJATA V. MANOHAR,  D.P. WADHWA

ACT:

HEADNOTE:

JUDGMENT:                       J U D G M E N T D.P. WADHWA, J.      The appellant  is aggrieved  by the   order dated April 27, 1989  of the  High  Court  of  Judicature  at  Allahabad (Lucknow Bench)  dismissing his  writ petition  wherein  his challenge to  the post  of Officer  on Special Duty (Special Component Plan) which he was holding, failed.      The  appellant   joined  Secretariat   service  of  the respondent as  Lower Division  Assistant  in  the  temporary capacity in  the year  1975. Whereafter  he was  promoted as Upper Division  Assistant. While  the appellant  was holding the  post   of  Upper   Division  Assistant  in  officiating capacity, he  was selected and appointed on ex-cadre post of Officer on  Special Duty  (Special Component  Plan) by order dated October  16, 1980.  By Office  Memorandum dated May 8, 1984,  this   post  of  Officer  on  Special  Duty  (Special Component  Plan)   was  sought   to  be   abolished  and  by notification dated  May 14,  1984 Shri  Shiva Shankar Singh, respondent No.4,  was appointed  as Officer  on Special Duty (Special Component  Plan) in  newly created  post. Both  the aforesaid  office   memorandum  and  the  notification  were challenged by the appellant in the writ petition in the High Court.      In support of his case in the High Court, the appellant had contended  that a Government servant holding a temporary post  for  more  than  three  years  acquired  right  to  be considered  for   confirmation  against  that  post  and  if necessary by  converting the temporary post into a permanent one. He  said that  since he  had completed  more than three years as  Officer on  Special Duty (Special Component Plan), he was  entitled to hold that post which was being abolished by Officer  Memorandum dated  May 8,  1984. His further case was that  this post was borne on the cadre of Directorate of Harijan and Social Welfare and could not be abolished by the Secretariat  Administration  (Establishment)  of  the  State Government. The  case set  up by  the appellant did not find favour with  the  High  Court  and  it  dismissed  his  writ petition.      The only  contention raised before us in this appeal is that the  post of Officer on Special Duty (Special Component

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Plan) was  in the  cadre of  the Directorate  of Harijan and Social Welfare  Department of  the State  Government and the State   Government   in   the   Secretariat   Administration (Establishment) could  not have  abolished the  same. We may note that  on account  of the  interim orders  issued by the High Court  and latter  by this Court, the post of Office on Special Duty  (Special Component  Plan) has  been  continued with the  appellant, it  appears, still holding the same. To understand how this post which the appellant was holding was created and  how it  was abolished, we may refer to sequence of certain events.      On October  16, 1980  a communication [No.5158/26-3-80- 11(17)80] was  addressed by  the Secretary to the Government of  U.P.   to  the  Director,  Harijan  and  Social  Welfare Department according sanction to create on temporary post at Secretariat level  in the pay scale of Rs.500/1000/-. It was stated in  the letter that for the purpose of implementation of  special  component  plan  for  Scheduled  Castes  in  an accelerated and  effective manner,  the Governor was pleased to accord  sanction to  create that above post from the date of filling  up the post which date shall not be earlier than the date  of this  order upto  February  28,  1981.  It  was mentioned that  the said  post shall  be a gazetted post and the designation  whereof shall  be Officer  on Special  Duty (Special Component Plan). The holder of the said post was to be paid  in addition  to pay,  dearness allowance  and other allowances as applicable and approved by the Government from time to  time. This letter also described the qualifications for holding  this post  and the  functions which  were to be performed. Then the letter gave the following directions:      "The above  said expenditure  shall      be   made   in   the   income   and      expenditure account for the current      financial year  1980-81 and charged      against   the    head   "288-Social      Security  and   Welfare  -   Ka   -      Schedule Caste,  Schedule Tribe and      other backward  classes welfare - 2      - uplift  of schedule  caste  under      organisation  puronidhanit  schemes      by      centre-special      central      relief/subsidiary relief/ component      relief/state   relief   under   the      special component plant for the all      around  development   of  scheduled      castes.      This  order   is  issued  with  the      Sanction of  the finance department      received by its non-official letter      No.%-2968-10-80 dated 15th October,      1980."      At the  same time,  by Office  Memorandum dated October 16, 1980,  the  appellant  was  appointed  to  the  post  of Officer on Special Duty (Special Component Plan) in the pay- scale  of   Rs.500-1000/-  created   under   the   aforesaid Government Order  No.5158/26-3-80-11(17)80 dated October 16, 1980. By  officer order  dated January  22, 1982  a new pay- scale for  the post  of officer  on  Special  Duty  (Special Component Plan)  was sanctioned and now this post was in the pay-scale of  Rs.770-1600/-.  This  was  by  letter  of  the Special Secretary  to the Government of Uttar Pradesh to the Director, Harijan  and Social  Welfare Department.  The post was being  extended from  time to time by various Government orders. Then  comes the  Office Memorandum dated May 8, 1984 issued by  the Secretariat  Administration  (Establishment),

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Section I  abolishing this  post  and,  at  the  same  time, creating a  new post of the Officer on Special Duty (Special Component Cell). This Officer Memorandum we may reproduce as under :      "Secretariat                     Administration      (Establishment) Section-I      No.2667A/Twenty-E-1-544(2)/80          Lucknow      dated 8th May, 1984.      In  reference   to  The  Government      Resolution         No.          Pay      R.1590/Ten/42(M)/1980  dated   29th      September,  1981   passed  on   the      recommendations made  in the report      of Uttar  Pradesh  Pay  Commission,      the undersigned  is directed to say      that the  Governor  is  pleased  to      accord sanction for creation of one      temporary  post   of   Officer   on      Special  Duty   (Special  Component      Plan)   in    the   Uttar   Pradesh      Secretariat  from   the   date   of      issuance of  this order or from the      date when the said post is utilised      till 28th  February 1985  whichever      is later  in the  new pay  scale of      Rs.770-40-1050-E.B.-50.1300-60-      1420-E.B.60-1600 in  the  cadre  of      Uttar Pradesh  Secretariat  Service      with the  condition that  the  said      post may  be abolished  at any time      before the  specified date  without      any prior  notice. As  a result  of      creation   of    this   post,   one      temporary  post   of   Officer   on      Special  Duty   (Special  Component      Plan)  in  the  old  pay  scale  of      Rs.500-25-700-E.B.-40-900-E.B.-50-      1000 created  by  the  Harijan  and      Social   Welfare    Section-3    by      Government  Order  No.5158/26.3.80-      11(17)/80 dated  16th October, 1980      which was  revised to  the new  pay      scale   of   Rs.7000-40-1050-EB-50-      1300-60-1320-EB-60-1600          by      Government  Order  No.4346/26.3.82-      11(84)/81 dated  22nd January, 1982      of the  Harijan and  Social Welfare      Section-3 and  the period  of which      has been extended for the last time      upto  28th  February  1985  by  the      Government  Order  No.633/26.3.1985      dated 30th  March 1984  of the same      department,  that   post  shall  be      deemed to  be  abolished  from  the      date when  the newly  created  post      with the  same name  and equivalent      to former post is brought into use.      2.   The said  post shall be deemed      to be  included temporarily  in the      posts of  Section Officers  in  the      Cadre of  Uttar Pradesh Secretariat      Service.      3.   The holder  of the  said  post      shall also  be paid  in addition to      pay  in  the  above  mentioned  pay

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    scale,  dearness   allowances   and      other  allowances   as   applicable      under orders  issued from  time  to      time by the Government.      4.   The  expenditure  incurred  in      this regard,  shall be  made in the      income and  expenditure account for      the  financial   year  1984-85  and      charged against  the  Head  "228  -      Social Security  and  Welfare  (Ka)      Scheduled Castes,  Scheduled Tribes      and other  backward classes welfare      (2) - Scheduled Castes Welfare (Ng-      PURONIDHANIT)   Schemes-   by   the      Centre-  under   Organisation   (2)      Social   Uplift    Programme   (No.      7733).(Kha)-All  round  development      of Scheduled  Castes under  special      component  plan   special   Central      Relief  (Cent   per  cent   central      relief)/Aubaid           Subsidiary      grant/component/Government   relief      (grant No.81).      5.   These orders  are issued  with      the   assent    of   the    Finance      Department  received  by  its  non-      official Letter  No.E-129/71 4  (A)      dated 4th May, 1984. No.E-129/71 4 (A) dated 4th May, 1984.                          Vinod Chandra Pandey                          Deputy Secretary.      As noted  above, in  pursuance to  this memorandum, the State Government by notification dated My 14, 1984 appointed Respondent No.4,  Shiva Shankar  Singh on this newly created post. This notification in relevant part reads as under:      "Government of Uttar Pradesh,      Secretariat Administration      (Establishment) Section-1.      No.2792/20-E-1-691/84 dated 14th May, 1984      Notification/Appointment      The following  permanent Upper  Division Assistants  of      utter Pradesh  Secretariat  are  appointed  as  Section      Officers on ad hoc and temporary basis from the date of      taking charge  thereof and  are  posted  to  the  newly      created post\vacancy  shown in  column 3  against their      names respectively. S.No.       Name & Present            Description of post/             Place of Posting          Vacancy 1.   Shri Shiv Shankar Singh          Officer on Special      Industry Department              Duty (Special                                       Component Plant) in                                       Harijan & Social                                       Welfare Department,                                       which is the post of                                       Section Officer in the                                       Secretariat Service                                       Cadre. 2.  ... ------------------------------------------------------------      The above  posts have  been  notified  by  office  Memo      No.2667-2667-A/Twenty E  544  (2)/810  dated  9th  May,      1984.                               sd/-                          Kamal Pandey,                          Secretary."

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    As we  have seen  above letter  dated October  16, 1980 creates the  post of  Officer on Special Duty at Secretariat level. To that effect latter was addressed by the Secretary, Government of  Uttar Pradesh  to the  Director, Harijan  and Social Welfare.  Similarly, Office  Memorandum dated  May 8, 1984 reproduced  above abolishes that post and creates a new temporary post  of Officer  on Special Duty. There is hardly any scope  fir controversy  as raised  by the appellant that the post  of Officer  on Special  Duty which was a temporary post and  to which  he was  appointed on  ad hoc  basis  was created in  the Directorate  and no in the Secretariat which means in  the  ministry.  His  contention,  therefore,  that Secretariat administration  had no  power or jurisdiction to abolish the  post he was holding does not appear to have any basis. Admittedly,  the post  of  Officer  on  Special  Duty (Special Component  Plan)  which  was  temporary  was  being extended from  time to  time by  various Government  orders. There is  no Government order further extending this post or any sanction  order from  the Finance Department as required under the  Uttar  Pradesh  Rules  Of  Business,  1975.  Even otherwise the  post in the absence of any order of extension or any  financial sanction  lapses of  its own.  The  Office Memorandum dated  May 8, 1984 is specific and leaves no room for doubt that the temporary post of Officer on Special Duty (Special Component Cell) which the appellant was holding was abolished.  Under   the  Uttar  Pradesh  Rules  of  Business creation of  post carrying pay scale the maximum of which is either Rs.2,000/-  or less  than Rs.  2,000/-  requires  the sanction of  Minister Incharge  which he  can do  only after Department of  Finance has concurred. If there is difference of opinion  between the  Minister In-charge  of a particular department where  the post  is sought  to be created and the Finance  Department   the  matter   is  referred  under  the aforesaid Rules  to the  Chief Minister.  The  letter  dated October  16,   1980  creating   the  post  and  that  Office Memorandum dated May 8, 1984 abolishing the post referred to above record  the sanction issued by the Finance Department. We may  refer to  para 4(2)  of the  Uttar Pradesh  Rules of Business, 1975 which is as under:      "4(2)  Unless  the  case  is  fully      covered  by   powers  to   sanction      expenditure or  to  appropriate  or      re-appropriate funds,  conferred by      any general  or special orders made      by  the   Finance  Department,   no      department   shall,   without   the      previous concurrence of the Finance      Department, issue  any orders which      may -      (a)  involve   any  abandonment  of      revenue or  involve any expenditure      for which  no  provision  has  been      made in the Appropriation Act;      (b) involve  any grant  of land  or      assignment    of     revenue     or      concession, grant, lease or licence      of mineral  or forest  right  or  a      right  to   water  power   or   any      easement or privilege in respect of      such concession;      (c) relate  to the  number or grade      of posts,  or to  the strength or a      service, or to the payor allowances      or government  servants or  to  any      other conditions  of their  service

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    having financial implications; or      (d)  otherwise   have  a  financial      bearing      whether      involving      expenditure or not:      Provided  that  no  orders  of  the      nature  specified   in  clause  (c)      shall be  issued in  respect of the      Finance  Department   without   the      previous   concurrence    of    the      DEPARTMENT OF Personnel."      The Rule is specific and carries with it the mandate of the Constitution under Article 166 thereof.      We  have   not  been  shown  any  order  of  the  State Government extending  the duration of the post of Officer on Special Duty (Special Component Cell) which the appellant is holding or  sanction of  the Finance  Department agreeing to the continuation of that post. We do not find any bar that a post though  created in the Secretariat establishment in the Ministry cannot  be used  in  any  attached  or  subordinate office but  that does  not give right to that office to hold on that post.      High Court  has taken  correct view  of the  matter. We find no  reason to  differ from  the same.  The appeal lacks merit, it is dismissed with costs.