State Of Himachal Pradesh And Others vs Budhi Singh And Others

Sandeep Sharma, J

Since common questions of law and facts are involved in all these petitions and petitioner-State has laid challenge to order dated 21.3.2016 passed by Industrial Tribunal-cum-Labour Court, Dharamshala in Reference Nos. 134/2015, 136/2015, 67/2015 and 68/2015, respectively in CWP Nos. 2233, 2412, 2064 and 2743 of 2018, respectively, same were being heard together and are now being disposed of vide this common order.

On 11.7.2022, learned counsel for the respondents, while placing on record copy of judgment dated 17.12.2021 passed by a Co-ordinate Bench of this court in CWP No. 2599 of 2017, titled State of Himachal Pradesh and another v. Rakesh Kumar, contended that the cases at hand are squarely covered by the aforesaid judgment and as such, same may be disposed of in terms of judgment supra.

Having taken note of the averments made on behalf of learned counsel for the respondents, this court directed learned Additional Advocate General to have instructions.

Today, while placing on record, communication dated 22.7.2022 issued under the signatures of Chief Conservator of Forests, Forest Circle, Bilaspur, enclosing therewith certain documents, learned Additional Advocate General fairly admits that the cases at hand are squarely covered by judgment rendered by Co-ordinate Bench of this court in Rakesh Kumar (supra).

Having carefully perused the aforesaid judgment vis-à-vis issues raised in the present petitions, this court is of the view that the issues raised in the present petitions, stand already settled by Co-ordinate Bench of this Court in Rakesh Kumar (supra), as such, nothing remains to the adjudicated in the present petitions.

Consequently, in view of above, present petitions are disposed of by directing that the directions contained in Rakesh Kumar (supra), shall mutatis mutandis apply to the present cases also.

All the petitions stand accordingly disposed of, alongwith all pending applications, in all the petitions.