Ram Kumar Thakur And Another vs Punjab State Power Corporation Limited And Others

Harsimran Singh Sethi, J

By this common order, the aforementioned writ petitions, the details of which have been mentioned in the heading, are being disposed of as all the writ petitions involve the same question of law and identical facts. The contentions, which have been raised on behalf of the petitioners are that though their claim for the grant of 3rd time bound promotional increment on completion of 23 years of service has been rejected but subsequent to the order of rejection of the claim of the petitioners, the respondent-Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (hereinafter referred to as 'Corporation') has issued a clarification in respect of the grant of said 3rd time bound promotional increment on completion of 23 years of service.

Learned counsel(s) for the petitioners state that these clarifications have come into effect on 21.08.2018 and 01.10.2018 and keeping in view the clarifications, which have been issued by the respondent-Corporation, the case of the petitioners is now squarely covered in their favour for the grant of 3rd time bound promotional increment on completion of 23 years of service. Learned counsel(s) for the petitioners further state that bunch of writ petitions, wherein also the same question of law raised i.e. grant of 3rd time bound promotional increment on completion of 23 years of service, has been disposed of by a Co-ordinate Bench of this Court vide order dated 29.11.2018 in CWP No. 1013 of 2017 titled as Balvir Singh Vs. PSPCL and another and other connected cases. The prayer of the petitioners is that keeping in view the subsequent clarifications, which have been issued by the respondent-Corporation on 21.08.2018 as well as 01.10.2018, the cases of the petitioners for the grant of 3rd time bound promotional increment on completion of 23 years of service be re-considered ignoring their earlier rejection and further, fresh order be passed keeping in view the directions issued by a Co-ordinate Bench of this Court in Balvir Singh's case (supra).

Learned counsel(s) appearing on behalf of the respondent-Corporation very fairly state that in view of the subsequent clarifications issued by the respondent-Corporation on 21.08.2018 and 01.10.2018, the claim of the petitioners needs to be re-considered and the same will be done by passing a fresh appropriate order.

Learned counsel for the parties also agree that for passing the fresh order, the present writ petitions can be disposed of in terms of order passed by a Co-ordinate Bench of this Court in Balvir Singh's case (supra).

Keeping in view the prayer made by learned counsel for the parties, all the above three writ petitions are disposed of in terms of the order passed by the Co-ordinate Bench of this Court in Balvir Singh's case (supra).

It is made clear that while passing the order in terms of Balvir Singh's case (supra), the respondent-Corporation shall ignore the earlier rejection of the cases of the petitioners for the grant of 3rd time bound promotional increment on completion of 23 years of service, which have been impugned in these writ petitions.

All the writ petitions are disposed of in above terms.