Research › Search › Judgment

J&K High Court · body

2012 DIGILAW 355 (JK)

Director Rural Development Kashmir v. Abdul Qayoom Dar & Ors.

2012-07-03

HASNAIN MASSODI, M.M.KUMAR

body2012
1. The instant appeal under Clause 12 of the Letters Patent Rules by the Director Rural Development Department, Kashmir, is directed against order dated 25.05.2010 passed by the learned Single Judge while disposing of CMP no. 1652/2008. The learned Single Judge has directed that the workman-respondent is entitled to full back wages from his employer, as last drawn by him, inclusive of maintenance allowance admissible in terms of service conditions till final disposal of the writ petition. 2. It is appropriate to mention that award dated 15.11.2006 has been challenged by the appellant in writ petition, OWP no. 66/2007. The writ petition has been admitted and the operation of the award has been stayed vide order dated 15.02.2007 by the learned Single Judge (Annexure-B). After the operation of the award was stayed, the workman-respondent filed an application with a prayer for payment of back wages, as last drawn by him. The application was supported by an affidavit and in para no.3 of the application it has been specifically averred that the applicant-workman has not been gainfully employed and, therefore, as a necessary sequel to the stay of the award re-instating him, back wages under Section 17 B of the Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 (for brevity the Act) have to be paid. Accordingly, the learned Single Judge allowed the application by the impugned order by holding as under:- "Keeping in view the above said facts, the application in hand merits to be granted, as such, is granted. Writ petitioner is directed to pay full wages to the private respondent No. 1 as last drawn by him inclusive of maintenance allowance admissible in terms of service conditions till final disposal of the writ petition from the date of presentation of the Writ petition. The arrears from the date of presentation till 30th of April, 2010 be paid within three months. CMP disposed of. 3. We have heard the learned counsel for the parties and are of the view that the appeal is without merit and is thus required to be dismissed. 4. It is well settled that there are four pre-requisites for invoking Section 17 B of the Act. Firstly the award of the Tribunal should have re-instated the workman by setting aside his unfair termination. 4. It is well settled that there are four pre-requisites for invoking Section 17 B of the Act. Firstly the award of the Tribunal should have re-instated the workman by setting aside his unfair termination. The aforesaid condition stands satisfied as the Tribunal, in categoric terms, has held that the appellant-employer has acted in violation of Section 25-F of the Act by not following the conditions before retrenchment of the workman-respondent. The second requirement is that in the proceedings initiated by the employer in the higher court, the award should have been stayed. It has already come on record that the award of the Tribunal in the present case has been stayed by the learned Single Judge on 15.02.2007. The other condition which needs to be satisfied is that the workman should not have been gainfully employed in any establishment during the pendency of the proceedings and there should be an affidavit in support of the same. This condition also stands satisfied as the workman-respondent has filed a specific affidavit asserting that he was not gainfully employed during the pendency of the proceedings in any establishment. 5. Once all the necessary conditions for invoking Section 17 B are satisfied, we find no legal infirmity in the view taken by the learned Single Judge while allowing the application of the workman-respondent under Section 17 B of the Act. 6. As a sequel to the above discussion, the appeal fails and the same is dismissed. 7. No costs.