State Of Bihar And Ors. Etc. Etc vs B.S. Mathur And Ors. Etc. Etc

The following Order of the Court was delivered ; Leave grunted.

We have heard the counsel for the parties These appeals by special leave arise from the order dated December 18. 1991 of the Division Bench of Patna High Court at Ranchi in C.WJ.C. No. 911/91.

The facts are not in dispute. Respondent No. 1 was appointed as a Government servant on April 13, 1955 and at the relevant time when he went on deputation he was Senior Research Assistant working in the Agriculture Department. He was transferred i.e. sent on deputation to the Rajendra Agricultural University. He tendered his resignation in 1977 and was absorbed as an employee of (he University. Similarly, respondents 2-9, while working as Government servants, went on deputation to the Rajendra University and they resigned in 1981. and were absorbed as University employees. On their retirement, a question arose whether the Government is liable to pay pension and if so, to what extent, Since the Government was disowning the liability to pay pension, they approached the High Court under Article 226 of the Constitution. The stand taken by the Government was that under s,39(20) of the Rajendra Agricultural University Act, 1971(for short, 'the Act'), they must he deemed to be re-employed and, therefore, the State was not liable to pay any pension since they resigned and were re-employed in the University, The Government also relied upon letter bearing No. 1/A, P.G.O. 30/85 Agrl. Patna dated 11.5.1.990 and contended that rule 161(b) of Bihar Pension Rules, 1950 (for short, 'the Rules') would stand attracted to the respondents and, therefore, the respondents are not entitled to any pension in excess of the pension calculable on the last substantive pay drawn by them.

The High Court, relying upon s.39(19) of the Act, which is pari materia with the provisions of the Bihar Agricultural University Act, held that the Government's liability to pay pension still subsists. Therefore, the Government is liable to pay the compensation/proportionate pension to the respondents. Accordingly allowed the writ petition.

Mr, B.B. Singh, learned counsel for the State, contended that since the respondents had resigned and were re-employed by the University, by operation of the instructions issued in letter dated 11.5.1990, they must be deemed to have been re-employed. Therefore, they are not entitled to pension higher than what they would have got, had they remained as Government servants by operation of Rule 161(b) of the Rules. Though he contended that the Government does not bear the proportionate pension. we do not think that the stand taken by the Government is at all tenable.

Section 39(19) of the Act reads thus:

"Such Government servants who choose to resign government service and enter the service of the University shall be considered for compensation, proportionate pension, provided that no such compensation, proportionate pension shall be allowed to any employee, who resigns in spite of being required by Government lo serve on some other post, under the Government carrying emoluments not less than his pay at the time of such resignation."

The first part of section clearly indicates that such Government servants while on deputation with the University service who choose to resign from Government .service and enter the service of the University, shall he considered for compensation/proportionate pension. The other part is not material for the purpose of this ease. Hence, it is not necessary to consider the same. Therefore, it is clear that if a Government servant, while on deputation in the University, had chosen to resign from Government service and was absorbed in the University service, by operation of s.39(19) the State bears proportionate pension/compensation payable to such a former Government servant.

At what rate, the University and the Government would proportionately bear the compensation/proportionate pension has not been dealt with under the Act. Therefore, necessarily the Government has to fall hack Upon the Rule 161(b), which envisages thus;

"161. (h) A Government servant on re-employment should draw the initial pay of the post unless Government sanction advance increments under Rule 83 of the Bihar Service Code, provided always that the sum total of pay plus pension does not exceed, the substantive pay last drawn by him before discharge. Where the sum total exceeds the last substantive pay only so much of the pension may be allowed lo be drawn as not to make the total of pension plus the initial pay of the post exceed the .substantive pay last drawn.

Note 1 - In cases of re-employment of pensioners part of whose pension is recoverable from other Government - provincial or central - if the sum total of pay plus pension exceeds the substantive pay drawn at the time of discharge. the pay on reemployment should not he fixed by keeping the pension in abeyance either in full or in part i.e., the reduction in such cases should be made in the pay itself instead of keeping the pension in abeyance.

Note 2 - These restrictions do not apply to ex-policemen whose pension does not exceed Rs, 10 a month."

A reading of the Rule clearly indicates that by a fiction it would apply to the University employees of the erstwhile Government servant deeming them to be re-ernployed in the University, Such Government servant should draw his initial pay of the post unless the Government sanctions advance increments under rule 83 of the Bihar Service Code. The proviso makes it clear that the sum total of pay plus pension would not exceed the substantive pay last drawn by him before discharge. In other words, if a Government servant opts for absorption in University service after resignation from Government service, he is entitled to the sum total of pay plus pension which would not exceed the substantive pay last drawn by him before he had tendered his resignation and was discharged by the Government. In other words, the proportionate pension of such Government employee should be calculated with reference to the last drawn pay of the Government employee at the time of acceptance of his resignation by the Government. The rest of the benefits, which such an employee would gel with reference to the last drawn pay on his retirement from the University service on attaining superannuation, would not be borne by the Government. The proportionate liability which the Government is required to bear, by operation of section 39(19) would be with reference to the last drawn pay and the sum total as envisaged in proviso to sub-rule (b) of Rule 161.

The appeals are accordingly allowed. The matter is clarified and the Government and the University shall accordingly calculate the pension and make payment within three months from the date of the receipt of the order. No costs.

Appeals allowed.