Supreme Court Judgement In Civil Appeal No.1198/2005 in ratio case

  IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA 

 CIVIL APPELLATE/ORIGINAL JURISDICTION

 CIVIL APPEAL NO. 1198 OF 2005 

S.P. DUDEJA & ORS. (APPELLANTS) 

VERSUS

UNION OF INDIA & ORS. (RESPONDENTS)

WITH  WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) NO. 385 OF 2010

VIMAL KUMAR & ANR.  (PETITIONERS)

VERSUS

UNION OF INDIA & ORS.  (RESPONDENTS)

ORDER

I.A. No.7 in Civil Appeal No. 1198 of 2005 is allowed and the amended memo of parties filed  along with the said application is taken on record.

We   have heard learned counsel for the parties in Civil Appeal No.1198 of 2005 and Writ Petition (Civil)  No. 385 of 2010.

  

It has been brought to our notice that the Union   of  India   in terms of our   previous  order/directions dated 22nd November, 2010 and 06th December, 2010, has filed an affidavit in Civil Appeal No. 1198 of 2005, inter alia, stating, that it has initiated the process of reviewing the Recruitment Rules, 1987 for promotion from Group 'B' posts to Group 'A' posts. The entire scheme is being re-looked and worked out at the departmental level in consultation with an expert body including the Department of Personnel and the entire process is likely to be completed by 31st December, 2011.

In   the  aforesaid   background, we deem it proper and in the interest of all parties concerned to dispose of both the Civil Appeal as also the Writ Petition without expressing any opinion on the merits  of the impugned judgment or the  writ petition but with the following directions:

   
1.  All the 3 groups of officers in the feeder categories i.e.(i)Superintendents of Central Excise;(ii)Superintendents  of Customs (Preventive); and (iii) Customs Appraisers,may make representations to the Union of India suggesting  the changes which according to them should be made in the Recruitment Rules for their promotion to Group-A post of Assistant Commissioner (Central Excise & Customs).                                                            


2. The Union of India shall duly consider all such representations including those made before it in light of the subsequent development in the cadre strength  of the 3 feeder categories of group-B services and amend/revise the Recruitment Rules including altering the existing ratio to secure just and fair representation of all the 3 feeder categories.


3. Union of India shall try to complete the entire process by 31st December, 2011, uninfluenced by any observations made in the previous judgment of this Court in All India Federation of Central Excise vs. Union of India & Ors.[(1997)1SCC 520], in which the existing ratio was approved as also  the observations in  the impugned judgment dated 19th December, 2003 of the High Court in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 1324 of 2002 with regard to the jurisdiction  of the Central  Administrative Tribunal.


4.  Having perused one of the Office Orders (No. 51/2011 dated 18th March, 2011), whereby some officers  were promoted from Group 'B' to the grade of Assistant  Commissioner of  Customs &  Central Excise  in  the  Pay Band 3 with Grade Pay of Rs.5400/- on purely ad hoc basis, we direct that all such adhoc promotions shall abide by the final decision to be taken by the Department in terms of this order.

The civil appeal and the writ petition are disposed of in the above terms. All other applications are  disposed of as having been rendered infructuous.

    ...................

    (D.K. JAIN, J.)    

    ...................

      (ASOK KUMAR GANGULY, J.)

NEW DELHI

AUGUST 03, 2011