REPORTABLE
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
Civil Appeal Nos. 8226-8227 OF 2012
Arising Out of
SLP (C) Nos. 26675-26676/2010
WITH
I.A. Nos. 19-20/2011
Bihar State Government Secondary
School Teachers Association ... Appellant
Versus
Bihar Education Service
Association & Ors. ...
Respondents
And
Contempt Petition Nos. 386-387/2011
Bihar State Government Secondary
School Teachers Association ...
Appellant/Applicants
Versus
Anup Mukherjee & Ors. ... Respondents
(Alleged
Contemnors)
J U D G E M E N T
H.L. Gokhale J.
Leave granted.
2. These two Civil Appeals by Special Leave raise the question
with respect to the approach the High Courts and the State Governments are
expected to adopt towards the orders passed, and the interpretations of
Govt. resolutions rendered by this Court. The question arises in the
context of litigation concerning the promotional avenues for the teachers
in Bihar Government Service.
The relevant facts:-
3. The facts leading to the two Civil Appeals herein are as
follows:-
The State of Bihar, which is respondent No.66 in these two
appeals, set up a three member committee, in March 1976, with Shri Saran
Singh, Member Board of Revenue, and Administrative Reforms Commissioner, as
its Chairman.
The terms of reference of this Committee were as follows:-
“To hasten the avenues for promotion in the Bihar Civil
Services, the government has approved junior selection grade 20%,
senior selection grade 12.50% and posts of senior Deputy Collector
2.5%. The same percentage has been applied for junior selection grade
and senior selection grade in the Bihar Engineering Service. On this
basis, requests have been coming from various state services
associations that due to lack of opportunity for promotion in their
cadres, there is stagnation, which must be removed.
1.2 Hence, keeping in view the strength and present
promotional avenues in various State service cadres, to analyse the
problem of stagnation and to recommend means to tackle this problem
and promotional opportunities, a committee of the following officers
is constituted:-
1) Member, Board of Revenue-Chairman
2) Chairman, Public Grievances Bureau- Member
3) Finance Commissioner- Member”
4. The committee drew its conclusions on the basis of the facts
and figures furnished by various departments. As stated in the report, the
approach of the committee was to find out:-
(a) what relatively, is the extent of stagnation in different services, and
the present prospects of promotion, and
(b) how the stagnation can be removed and promotional opportunities
enlarged.
5. The committee noted that all the service associations staked
claims for the same percentage of the promotional posts as allowed to Bihar
Civil Service and Bihar Engineering Service. Two of the reasons for
stagnation noted by the committee were: (i) relatively heavy recruitment of
officers of the same age group in certain years, (ii) and lack of adequate
number of promotional posts at different levels of the organizational
hierarchy. The recommendations of the committee with respect to various
services are in part III of its report.
As far as Bihar Education Service
is concerned, it has been discussed in para (9), thereof.
To begin with,
the committee dealt with the promotional chances of Class-II officers into
Class-I.
Then in sub-para B it has dealt with the posts in specialized
institutes like those teaching Sanskrit, Prakrit and Persian.
Thereafter
in sub-para C it has dealt with the Miscellaneous Cadre.
The analysis in
this part and the recommendations read as follows:-
“C. Miscellaneous cadre
11.10. This service consists of 59 posts of different
categories like teachers, engineers, Doctors, Stadium Manager, etc.
and excepting the teachers of Netarhat School who have adequate
prospects of promotion within the cadre, most of the members of the
cadre hold isolated posts with no definite prospect of promotion. No
promotional posts can be provided for because of the isolated nature
of their job.
In order, however, to minimize the hardships in their case, the
committee would like to make the following suggestion for
consideration of the Education Department:-
1) Education department may get the posts of engineers
included in the cadre of the Public Works Department and
obtain their services on deputation basis.
2) The two posts of the doctors may also be got included in
the Health service and service of doctors obtained on
deputation basis.
3) The remaining posts should be included in the General cadre
and manned by officers of the Bihar Educational Service as
far as practicable.”
The committee suggested that the proposals should come into effect
from 1st January, 1977.
6. The recommendations of the committee were accepted by the State
Government, and the State Government (Finance Department) issued a
notification dated 11.4.1977, which was subsequently published in the
Gazette Extra-Ordinary on 27.4.1977. The decision with respect to the
recommendations was contained in Schedule-1 of the notification. As far as
the education department and the miscellaneous cadre are concerned, the
decision notified reads as follows:-
Schedule-1
|Sr.|Para No.|Page|Departmen|Name |Recommendation the |Govt. |
|No.|of |No. |t |of |Committee |Decision|
| |committe| | |servic| | |
| |e report| | |e | | |
|1 |2 |3 |4 |5 |6 |7 |
|7 |1.10 |25 |Education|Misc. |1) kindly merge the post of|Approved|
| | | |Departmen|Cadre |the Engineers of the | |
| | | |t | |Education Department into | |
| | | | | |Bihar engineering Services | |
| | | | | |Cadre and take the Services| |
| | | | | |of the Engineers by means | |
| | | | | |of Deputation | |
| | | | | |2) The posts of doctors |Approved|
| | | | | |should be included in the | |
| | | | | |Bihar Health Services cadre| |
| | | | | |and as per the requirement | |
| | | | | |their service should also | |
| | | | | |be taken on deputation | |
| | | | | |3) Various Posts such as |Approved|
| | | | | |Teacher (except the | |
| | | | | |teachers of Netarhat) and | |
| | | | | |the posts of Stadium | |
| | | | | |managers etc should be | |
| | | | | |included in the Bihar | |
| | | | | |Education Service cadre and| |
| | | | | |the Officers of the cadre | |
| | | | | |should be appointed on | |
| | | | | |these posts | |
(emphasis supplied)
First round of litigation
7. It is the case of the petitioner Secondary School Teachers
Association that, though this notification was issued by the State
Government on 11.4.1977, the State Government took no steps to implement
the same.
They represented for its implementation from time to time, but
that was without any effect.
They learnt that one provisional gradation
list was prepared in the year 1986, but it was never circulated or made
known to the Petitioner association.
Another gradation list was prepared
in 1995, and they found that the same had left out the members of the
Petitioner association.
Two representations were once again made,
including one on 25.5.1998, but that was also without any effect.
Therefore, they were constrained to file the Writ Petition, bearing
No.12122 of 1998, against the State of Bihar and the concerned officers.
In this petition they specifically claimed (a) that the aforesaid
notification of 11.4.1977 contemplated a merger of their cadre into Bihar
Education Service which consists of class-II employees, and (b) that any
appointment and further promotions are to be made from the combined cadre.
The petition therefore prayed:-
(1) for a direction to implement the decision contained in the
notification dated 11.4.1977.
(2) for a direction to prepare a combined gradation list of the Bihar
Education Service Class II after placing the members of the Petitioner
association in their appropriate places along with other constituents.
(3) to restrain the respondents from acting upon the defective gradation
list of 1995
(4) for the consequential reliefs, which meant increase in salary and
allowances pursuant to the recommendations of the Pay Revision Committees
appointed from time to time.
8. It is relevant to note that in this petition they specifically
pleaded in para 5 that they were also selected through Public Service
Commission/ Central Selection Board, and that they also had qualifications
of being graduates with necessary training, and further that from 1965
onwards they also had to have a Master’s degree.
In para 6 of the petition
they submitted that the Saran Singh committee had recommended the merger,
despite which the defective gradation lists were prepared, first on
19.7.1986 and thereafter on 13.11.1995, contrary to the notification of
11.4.1977.
9. Another Writ Petition bearing CWJC No.8147/1999 was filed by
some teachers viz. Smt. Ratan Prabha and Ors.
This petition drew attention
to the issue of pay anomaly. They also relied upon the notification of
11.4.1977, and prayed for preparation of a common seniority list for Bihar
Education Service.
Both the Writ Petitions were heard together. The State
Government did not file any counter in spite of adequate time having been
granted. The learned Single Judge of Patna High Court, observed in his
order that it appears that the orders of merger had not been issued, and
the matter was pending with the State Government, though in the meantime
separate gradation list had been published for one or the other teaching
cadre. The learned single judge therefore, passed the following order
dated 2.2.2000:-
“In the circumstances, I direct the commissioner cum Secretary,
Secondary, Primary and Mass Education, government of Bihar to act upon
the government decision contained in Resolution dated 11.4.1977 so far
it relates to the Education Service of the Education Department.”
10. The State of Bihar felt aggrieved by this common order passed
in the two Writ Petitions, and therefore filed two Letters Patent Appeals
No.980 and 998 of 2000. The State Government contended that there was no
proposal to merge the sub-ordinate teachers into the Bihar Education
Service Class-II. It was further pointed out that 50% posts of Bihar
Education Service Class-II were filled by the promotion of the subordinate
teachers. This was however, denied by the appellants herein by pointing
out that factually however, hardly any such promotions had taken place.
They also pointed out that the notification dated 11.4.1977 had been
implemented in other services in the manner in which they were canvassing.
The Division Bench dismissed these two appeals by order dated 27.11.2000,
wherein it observed:-
“In our view, since this court by order dated 2.2.2000 has
specifically directed the Government to take a decision in terms of
the resolution dated 11.4.1977, there appears no reason for the State
to be aggrieved by such order.”
11. The State Government carried the matter further to this Court
in SLP Nos.4937-4938/2001, and this Court dismissed the two SLP’s by its
order dated 16.4.2001 which reads as follows:-
“CORAM:
Hon’ble Mr. Justice B.N Kripal
Hon’ble. Mrs Justice Ruma Pal
“Upon hearing the counsel the court made the following
ORDER
It is clear that the final direction which has been given
to the Petitioner to implement the resolution dated 27th April,
1977 in the manner it is meant to be implemented. The petitions
are disposed of.”
Second round of litigation
12. It is, however, seen that inspite of the orders passed as
above, State of Bihar did not issue the necessary orders for merger of the
subordinate cadre of teachers into the Bihar Education Service, and
consequential rise in pay.
This led a subordinate-service teacher, one
Shri Janardan Rai, to file a fresh Writ Petition, being CWJC No.8679 of
2002. He referred to the orders passed above, and prayed for consequential
benefits along with fixation of pay in terms of the State Government
Notification dated 11.4.1977, and in terms of the order dated 2.2.2000
passed in above referred CWJC No.12122 of 1998, which had been upheld by
the Supreme Court.
13. This petition was opposed by the Additional Finance
Commissioner of the State of Bihar, by filing an affidavit. In para 13, he
specifically stated that the decision contained in the aforesaid
notification is not at all related to the non-gazetted cadre of teachers of
Government High Schools, and therefore, implementation of the order of the
Hon’ble Court does not require merger of the Subordinate Education Service
with the Bihar Education Service.
In para 25, he contended that the word
‘teachers’ mentioned in Item No.7 of Schedule-1 of the notification of 1977
referred to those isolated posts of teachers who had been part of the
umbrella service, namely, Bihar Education Service, but who did not have any
proper cadre, and therefore had no opportunities of promotion available to
them. In para 26 he contended that the Saran Singh Committee report had
made clear that the report was exclusively about the cadres within the
Gazetted State Services.
14. The Director (Administration) cum Deputy Secretary, the
Department of Secondary, Primary and Mass Education of Government of Bihar,
filed two affidavits. In the first affidavit, he stated in para 4(c) that
in the notification there is no mention of 59 posts, and hence the
confusion arose. He further stated that the Government had, therefore,
decided to locate those 59 posts by an advertisement and call for
information. In para 6/A of the second affidavit, however, he stated that
there was no mention of any merger in the notification.
15. The learned Single Judge who heard the petition referred to the
earlier orders up to the Supreme Court, and then observed that, in view
thereof, the matter should have attained finality. He further observed
that it was really unfortunate that the state had again started giving its
own different meaning to interpret the aforesaid orders, rather going to
the extent of even stating that some shadow-boxing had been done in the
High Court and the Supreme Court, to obtain certain orders. He stated that
it appeared from the notings on the files of the State Government that the
Education Department had, in fact, taken a decision to implement the
aforesaid notification, and prepared a draft notification for the approval
of the Finance Department, so that the orders of the High Court, for
implementing the notification of 11.4.1977, are complied with. He also
recorded that the said draft notification speaks of about 2465 sanctioned/
created posts. He stated-
“…The said draft clearly goes to show that the Education
Department has found that the petitioner and other similarly situated
persons were also required to be merged in the Bihar Education
Service, in view of the aforesaid resolution. However, final approval
of the Finance Department was sought for, before final direction was
issued in this regard. The said resolution speaks about 2465
sanctioned/created posts. As such it appears that the only obstacle
which remains in non-implementation of the resolution is concerned is
the functionaries of the Finance Department, who are giving a
different meaning to the said resolution.”
16. The Learned Judge, therefore, heard the arguments of the
counsel for the Finance Department exhaustively, and observed that if the
meaning, which is tried to be given to the notification dated 11.4.1977, is
to be accepted, the whole notification relating to the Bihar Education
Service would become redundant. That apart, he observed “today it does not
lie in the mouth of authorities to give it any other interpretation rather
they are sitting over the orders of the High Court, as well as the Supreme
Court.” He, therefore, directed them to implement the notification of 1977
in its totality, within a period of six weeks, failing which, they would be
liable to be proceeded for violation of the said order and the order dated
2.2.2000, as well as the orders of the LPA Bench and the Supreme Court of
India. He granted liberty to the petitioner to bring a petition before the
Court in that very writ application itself, so that, if necessary erring
respondents can be proceeded against in accordance with law.
17. This order was again challenged by the State Government in LPA
No.65/2003. Additional grounds were raised in the LPA. One of them was
that if the interpretation of the term ‘teachers’ accepted by the learned
single judge was approved, it will lead to the teachers other than those in
Government service claiming the benefits of Bihar Education Service Class-
II. Secondly, it was contended that the subordinate education service was
not a state service. The Division Bench of the High Court however,
dismissed the LPA by its order dated 10.3.2003, observing that the
controversy had already attained finality with the order of the Supreme
Court and nothing more was required to be recorded before passing this
order. However, in the meanwhile Division Bench had also passed an order
dated 27.1.2003 directing the Chief Secretary, Government of Bihar and
Director Administration of Bihar to remain present in the appeal to explain
the non-implementation.
18. These two orders led the State Government to file Civil Appeal
No.4466/2003, wherein the earlier grounds were reiterated. A counter was
filed on behalf of Janardhan Rai & Ors. by the Gen. Secy. Of the Bihar
State Government Secondary School Teachers Association which had been
impleaded as a respondent by an order passed by this Court. Therein it was
specifically stated in paragraph 13 as follows:-
“…… Thus, since the members of the Respondent Association
belonged to a clearly identifiable cadre known as “B.S.E.S Cadre” and
were not part of any isolated post and also since their posts were not
declared “Gazetted”-then, they clearly fell within the purview of
those State services covered by the Saran Singh Committee. It is also
relevant to mention here that the term “State Service” used by the
Petitioners has not been defined anywhere. This is evident from the
Fitment Committee report, Government of Bihar published in 1998. Thus
in the absence of any special definition, the words “State Service”
would mean Government Service of the State regulated by State Service
Code.”
The Civil Appeal was dismissed by this Court by its order dated
19.4.2006 which we quote in the entirety:-
“IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CIVIL APPEAL NO.4466 OF 2003
STATE OF BIHAR & ORS. …APPELLANTS
VERSUS
JANARDAN RAI & ANR …RESPONDENTS
ORDER
Heard learned counsel on both sides.
That a Government Resolution passed in 1977 has not yet been
implemented and continues to be the subject matter of a spate of
litigation, despite 14 orders of different Courts, is something that
shocks the conscience of this Court.
The Order of the High Court in Letters Patent Appeal, which has
resulted in the present Appeal is a short (one paragraph) order, but
the background appears to be voluminous. Learned counsel on both
sides have taken us through the various documents on record. After
patiently plodding through the record and the various orders, the only
point that needs to be considered is, whether the Resolution No 3521
F2 dated 11th April, 1977 of the State Government has been
implemented in respect of the Members of the Bihar Subordinate
Education Service comprising Male and Female teachers. According to
the Respondents, its implementation would mean merger of the cadre of
teachers belonging to the Bihar Subordinate Education Service with the
Bihar Education Service Class 2; the stand of the State Government is
that this Resolution, which accepts and implements the report of the
Saran Singh Committee (Paragaph 11.10), has nothing to do with the
Members of the Bihar Subordinate Education Service Cadre.
Writ Petitions were filed before the High Court of Patna and
they were allowed in favour of the teachers holding that such merger
is contemplated in the concerned Government Resolution. A contempt
petition was also taken out alleging non-implementation of the High
Court’s order, which had directed the State specifically to implement
the concerned Resolution dated 11th April, 1977.
The contempt petition is still pending before the High Court and
has been stayed in the present appeal.
At the end of the day, we are satisfied that whether the
implementation has been done in the manner required by the Resolution
or not is for the High Court to decide since the High Court is in
seisin of the contempt petition. Hence, we feel that it is not
necessary for us to interfere in the matter, particularly since our
attention has been drawn to the statements made on the floor of the
legislative assembly that the Government itself is thinking of
implementing the Resolution in the manner that is being suggested by
the Respondents. In any event, since the contempt petition is
pending, the High Court will examine the matter and, if satisfied that
the Resolution has not been implemented, deal with the contemnors
according to law. In this view of the matter, we do not think that it
is necessary for us to interfere at all.
Civil Appeal is dismissed. No order as to costs. Stay of the
contempt proceedings is vacated forthwith.
...……………..……J.
(B.N. Srikrishna)
……………….……………J.
(Lokeshwar Singh Panta)
New Delhi April 19, 2006”
19. It appears that in view of this judgment of this Court in the
second round of litigation, the State Government ultimately moved to take
the decision as canvassed by the subordinate teachers. The Cabinet took
the necessary decision on 3.7.2006. The memorandum prepared by the
administration for the consideration of the Council of Ministers referred
to the earlier developments in the first 10 paragraphs. Paragraphs 11 to
18 of this memorandum which was approved by the Cabinet read as follows:-
“11. The department prepared an estimate of financial burden
involved. According to a provisional estimate the estimated amount
difference is near about Rs. 64 crore. But because almost all the
beneficiaries have got the benefit of first ACP therefore on this
count after deducting a moderate amount it comes to near about Rs. 48
crores 62 lakhs. In additional to this, so many of the beneficiaries
are entitled to get the benefit of 2nd ACP. If they are granted, the
2nd ACP then the estimates amount will further come down.
12. In the year 1977 the No. of total created/sanctioned post
of the male and female teachers were 2465 against which total working
strength was 1336, which decreased to 880 by the years 2006, out of
this if 301 units belonging to Jharkhand is deducted it comes to 579
only.
13. It is to be noted that in view of the provisions contained in
resolution No.3521 dated 11.04.1977 several departments have merged
the lower scales with the higher ones. But the incumbents of this
cadre of the Education Deptt. have been denied their promotions after
1977 which was otherwise due. Whereas the incumbents of Inspecting
Branch of this cadre are reported to have been promoted upto 2001.
14. The officers of the Bihar Education Service in their
representation against this merger are apprehending that this merger
will harm their interest. But the Deptt. has no such knowledge about
them to be an intervener or a party in CWJC, LPA and SLP filed in this
regard. Most of the beneficiaries of this merger are on the verge of
retirement therefore there is no possibility of a major harm to be
caused to the officers of the Bihar Education Service.
15. Therefore consequent upon-complying the orders of the Hon’ble
Courts it is proposed to upgrade 2465 created/sanctioned posts of
teachers of subordinate education service male and female cadre with
Bihar Education Service Class-2 w.e.f 01.07.77.
16. The concurrence of Finance Deptt. has been obtained.
17. The approval of the Departmental Minister has been obtained in
the proposal.
18. The approval of the council of ministers in the proposal
contained in para 15 of the memorandum is solicited.”
(emphasis supplied)
20. Accordingly, necessary resolution was issued under the order of
the Governor of Bihar on 7.7.2006, stating that the teachers of the
Subordinate Education Service (Teaching Branch) male and female cadre, are
merged into Bihar Education Service Class II w.e.f. 1.1.1977, in accordance
with the Finance Department Notification dated 11.4.1977, and that
appropriate orders will follow after evaluating personal benefits arising
out of the order. A notification was also subsequently issued on 9.10.2006
giving effect to the above resolution with respect to three teachers
mentioned specifically in that notification.
Third round of litigation
21. Now, it was the turn of the Bihar Education Service to file
their Writ Petition bearing CWJC No.10091/2006, wherein, they challenged
the Government resolution dated 7.7.2006 providing for the merger of the
Bihar Subordinate Education Service into the Bihar Education Service Class-
II. It was contended that the Bihar Subordinate Education Service, to
which the secondary teachers belonged was quite different from the Bihar
Education Service Class-II. This was on the footing that their modes of
recruitment and minimum qualifications were different. It was submitted
that the merger will affect their seniority and therefore the decision is
arbitrary and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution. The State
Government opposed this petition by filing an affidavit. It was pointed
out by the State Government that the Govt. resolution dated 7.7.2006 had
been issued in view of the judgments of the High Court as approved by the
Hon’ble Supreme Court. The opinion of the Advocate General was also
tendered that the Govt. had no option but to implement the notification of
11.4.1977 as regards the merger of the two services. The intervener Bihar
Education Service Association also opposed this petition and pointed out
that the earlier Writ Petitions were allowed by the High Court in favour of
the teachers holding that the merger was contemplated in the Govt.
notification and the SLP therefrom had been dismissed.
22. The learned Single Judge, however, referred to the observation of
this Court in its order dated 19.4.2006, that it was for the High Court to
decide whether the notification of the State Govt. has been implemented in
the manner required by the notification, and therefore examined the
legality of the resolution dated 7.7.2006 by re-examining the earlier
notification dated 11.4.1977. He took the view that the Govt. decision
accepting the recommendation of the committee as recorded at Serial No.7 of
Schedule 1 was concerning the miscellaneous cadre only, and while doing
that there was no occasion for State to take a decision about Bihar
Education Service and to merge the teaching branch, male and female, of the
Bihar Subordinate Education Service with the Bihar Education Service. He
therefore allowed CWJC No.10091/2006 by his judgment and order dated
31.10.2007 and quashed the resolution dated 7.7.2006.
23. Along with the above writ petition, the learned Single Judge heard
another Writ Petition bearing CWJC No.14678/2006 which was filed by 51
subordinate teachers who on the other hand claimed the benefit of the very
Govt. resolution dated 7.7.2006. The learned Judge disposed of that
petition with same common order, but directed the Govt. to consider their
cases if they are in any way situated similar to the miscellaneous cadre.
24. It is relevant to note that after this judgment and order of
learned Single Judge dated 31.10.2007, the Govt. of Bihar came out with a
consequential notification dated 19.11.2007 quashing the above Resolution
No.1209 dated 7.7.2006 (which had merged the teachers of subordinate
services into Bihar Education Service Class-II), and withdrawing the
financial benefits flowing therefrom.
25. Some of the individual teachers who felt aggrieved by this
judgment and order dated 31.10.2007, filed LPAs Nos.941/2007, 946/2007,
947/2007 and 974/2007. As far as the Secondary School Teachers Association
is concerned it directly filed an SLP to this Court against the order dated
31.10.2007, bearing SLP No.8031/2008, but this Court vide its order dated
16.3.2009 noted that those individual LPAs were pending before the High
Court, and therefore granted liberty to the association to approach the
High Court by way of LPA. Accordingly, the petitioner association filed
LPA No.418/2009. All those LPAs were heard together.
26. The appellant association as well as the Bihar Education
Service Association reiterated their positions before the Division Bench.
The appellant association principally contented that after the decision of
the Supreme Court dated 19.4.2006, it was not permissible for the learned
Single Judge to re-open the entire controversy, otherwise there would never
be any finality. The decision of the learned Single Judge was however
defended by the Bihar Education Service Association by contending that no
definite decision had been arrived at in the earlier proceedings. As noted
earlier the State of Bihar had defended, before the learned Single Judge,
the Resolution dated 7.7.2006 approving the merger. However, the State
changed its stand before the Division Bench. As can be seen from para 38
of the judgment of the Division Bench, it was contended on behalf of the
State Govt. that neither in the notification of the Finance Department
dated 11.4.1977 nor in any order of this Court except in CWJC No.8679 of
2002 (the contempt petition wherein was being heard with these appeals) it
had even remotely been decided as regards the merger of the teachers of SES
in BES. Thereafter, the para records the stand of the State Govt. as
follows:-
“As with regard to the order passed by the learned Single Judge
in CWJC No.8679 of 2002, it was sought to be explained by the learned
Advocate General that since that case itself was being heard along
with these appeals as per the order of the Apex Court dated 19.4.2006,
the same could not be treated as a binding precedent”.
27. The Division Bench took the view that the State Govt. had
issued the resolution 7.7.2006 under the threat of contempt, though the
judgment does not record any such submission on behalf of the State Govt.
The judgment indicates that in the opinion of the Division Bench the order
of this Court dated 19.4.2006 did not prohibit the learned Single Judge
from going into the entire controversy. The Division Bench accepted that
unless rules were framed, there could not be any merger since there was no
parity in the pay of the subordinate teachers and the Bihar Education
Service Class-II employees. After referring to the report of the Saran
Singh Committee, the Division Bench formed the opinion that the
notification of the State Govt. dated 11.4.1977 will have to be confined
only to 59 posts in the miscellaneous cadre.
28. The LPAs were therefore dismissed by the Division Bench by the
impugned judgment and order dated 21.5.2010. The Division Bench by the
same order also dropped the contempt matter then pending in CWJC
No.8679/2002. The orders passed by the learned Single Judge as well as by
the Division Bench have led to the present two Civil Appeals (arising out
of SLP (C) Nos.26675-76 of 2010), which is the third occasion when this
controversy is coming up to this Court.
29. When the Special Leave Petitions leading to these appeals came
up for consideration, initially a notice was issued on 7.3.2011, and
lateron after hearing the counsel for respondents, the operation of the
judgment and orders passed by the learned Single Judge as well as by the
Division Bench came to be stayed by an order passed on 4.7.2011. The State
of Bihar has now moved IA Nos. 19-20 of 2011 to vacate the order of stay.
The appellants on the other hand have contended that in view of the stay
granted by this Court, the State of Bihar and its officers are expected to
take steps to implement the Resolution dated 7.7.2006, and since that was
not being done they have filed the Contempt Petition (Civil) No.386-387 of
2011 against the Chief Secretary of the Govt. of Bihar and its other
officers. The Civil Appeals, the I.A for vacating the stay order and the
Contempt Petitions have been heard, and are being decided together. Shri
Patwalia, learned Senior Counsel has appeared for the appellants, Shri
Nagendra Rai, learned Senior Counsel has appeared for the State of Bihar
and its officers, and learned counsel Shri Akhilesh Kumar Pandey has
appeared for the Bihar Education Service Association and its members.
Submission of the rival parties
30. It was submitted on behalf of the appellants that the learned
Single Judge and the Judges of the Division Bench who have passed the
impugned order have failed to grasp the true import of the order passed by
this Court on 19.4.2006. All that remained to be done thereafter was to
monitor the contempt proceedings in Writ Petition No.8679/2002. This
limited scope was exceeded by them to re-open the entire controversy. If
this is approved, there would never be any end to the litigation. It was
submitted by Mr. Patwalia, learned senior counsel for the appellants, that
the fact of stagnation in the services of the subordinate teachers was not
being disputed. What was being contended was that the recommendation of
Saran Singh Committee was concerning only 59 miscellaneous posts and that
was approved by the State Govt. in the notification of 11.4.1977. In his
submission, this reading of the recommendation was not correct. In any
case, the notification of 11.4.1977 has to be read on its own. Besides, in
the present matter the Court is concerned with the challenge to the Govt.
Resolution dated 7.7.2006. The implementation of this notification was not
going to cause any serious financial burden on the State Govt. The State
Govt. was to upgrade the posts, and thus the subordinate teachers were to
carry their own posts in the Bihar Education Service Class-II, though not
many of those teachers were going to benefit since most of the
beneficiaries have already retired or are on the verge of retirement as
stated in the resolution. As far as seniority is concerned, he submitted
that the subordinate employees who remain in service will get seniority
from 1977, and naturally those who joined the service subsequently will be
placed thereafter. Mr. Patwalia therefore submitted that these appeals
should be allowed, and the challenge to the resolution dated 7.7.2006 be
repelled. He, however, fairly stated that he was not pressing for the
action in contempt.
31. As against this, it was submitted on behalf of the employees of
the Bihar Education Service that the Subordinate Education Service is a
feeder cadre for promotion to the Bihar Education Service. Their pay is
different, and the merger, as proposed in the resolution dated 7.7.2006,
will affect their seniority retrospectively. In their submission, the
State Govt. notification of 11.4.1977 has basically to be read in the light
of the Saran Singh Committee report, which according to them did not extend
the recommendations to the cadre of the subordinate teachers. Mr. Akhilesh
Kumar Pandey learned counsel, appearing for them, therefore submitted that
the SLPs should be dismissed.
32. On behalf of the State of Bihar submissions were advanced by
Mr. Nagendra Rai, learned senior counsel. He submitted that the
notification passed by the State Govt. on 11.4.1977 ought to be read as
confined to the Saran Singh Committee report only. There was no merger
contemplated in the Govt. notification, and the order of this Court dated
19.4.2006 should not be read as confined only to the hearing of the
Contempt Petition by the High Court. He submitted that the subordinate
service employees have otherwise also prospects of promotions under their
service rules. The Saran Singh Committee Report was only for the employees
of the State Service and the subordinate service did not form part of the
State Service. The report was meant for only those who did not have scope
for promotion in the State Service, and therefore the SLPs be dismissed.
Consideration of the rival submissions
33. We have considered the submissions by the counsel for the rival
parties. The above narration of the facts and legal submissions shows that
when the first Writ Petition No.12122 of 1998 was filed by the appellant,
the State Government did not even care to file a counter. The learned
Single Judge went through the material on record and noted that the order
for merger had yet not been passed, and the matter was pending before the
Govt. The learned Judge, therefore, passed the order directing the
Secretary, Education Department to act on the Govt. resolution dated
11.4.1977. The State of Bihar chose to file an appeal before the Division
Bench where for the first time it stated that there was no proposal for
merger. The Division Bench which heard the appeal noted that the direction
of the Single Judge was to act in terms of the Govt. resolution and
therefore there was no reason for the State to feel aggrieved. When the
State Govt. filed the SLP, this Court observed that the final direction
given to the State was to implement the resolution in the manner it was
meant to be implemented, and disposed of the SLP. Thus, it was clear at
the end of the first round of litigation that the petition filed by the
appellant had been allowed by learned Single Judge, and that order had been
left undisturbed in the appeals therefrom by the Division Bench as well as
by this Court.
34. As is seen from the further events that in spite of these
orders the State Government did not take the steps to implement the
notification dated 11.4.1977, in the manner accepted as valid in the first
round of litigation. This inaction led Shri Janardhan Rai and some other
teachers to file one more Writ Petition being CWJC No.8679 of 2002 for the
implementation thereof, and the merger of subordinate teachers into the
Bihar Education Service Class-II. It is however seen that, at this stage
there was a difference of opinion between the Finance Department and the
Education Department of the State Govt. The Finance Department continued
to maintain that the subordinate Education Service could not be merged into
the Bihar Education Service Class-II. The Education Department however in
its first affidavit, in this Writ Petition, recorded that the notification
of 11.4.1977 did not state that it is concerning only 59 posts. Notings on
the files of the Govt. clearly showed that the Education Department had
understood that for the implementation of the notification, the merger of
the two cadres was necessary, and had for that purpose prepared a draft
resolution for the approval of the Finance Department. In view of this
factual scenario, and also in view of the previous orders, the learned
single judge allowed the CWJC No.8679/2002, and passed the order directing
the steps for merger of the subordinate teachers into the Bihar Education
Service. The appeal of State of Bihar was also dismissed by the Division
Bench by observing that the controversy had already attained finality with
the orders of the Supreme Court.
35. The order passed by this Court, thereafter, in the Civil Appeal
filed by the State Govt. bearing No.4466 of 2003 dated 19.4.2006 has to be
read on this background. In the very first para this Court has recorded
that the non-implementation of the notification passed in 1977 for such a
long time had shocked its conscience. In the second paragraph, the Court
has recorded the submissions of the rival parties. In the third para, the
Court specifically recorded that the writ petitions filed in the High Court
were allowed in favour of the teachers holding that such merger is
contemplated in the concerned Government notification. All that is
recorded thereafter is concerning the Contempt Petition, which was pending
in the High Court, and which was concerning the non-implementation of High
Court’s order, which had directed the implementation of the Govt.
notification dated 11.4.1977. As the further paragraphs of this order
record, all that remained to be looked into was whether the implementation
has been done in the manner required by the notification. It is also
relevant that before dismissing the Civil Appeal filed by the State Govt.,
the Court recorded that the Govt. was also thinking of implementing the
notification in the manner suggested by the respondents before the Court
(that is the appellants herein). Therefore, ultimately the Court directed
that High Court will examine the matter and if satisfied that the
notification has not been implemented, deal with the contemnors in
accordance with law. Therefore, the Court vacated the stay on the contempt
proceedings forthwith.
36. Thus, all that remained thereafter to be done was to decide the
pending Contempt Petition in Writ Petition CWJC No.8679 of 2002. The state
of Bihar understood the decisions so far correctly, and therefore passed
the resolution dated 7.7.2006 accepting the view point, which had found
favour with the High Court as well as this Court, recommending the merger
of the two cadres and upgradation of the teachers. The resolution also
recorded that the merger would not have any serious financial implications
nor would it affect seniority of many employees since most of the
employees, to be merged, had either retired or were on the verge of their
retirement.
37. In this background when the Bihar Education Service employees
filed their Writ Petition being No.CWJC 10091 of 2006, the State Government
rightly defended its resolution dated 7.7.2006. However, the learned
Single Judge failed to understand the import of the decision of this Court,
and thought that he had the liberty to reopen the controversy despite the
decisions rendered in the first two rounds. He, therefore, passed the
order allowing that Writ Petition. Now what we find is that the State
Government once again changed its stand, and issued a Notification
canceling the Resolution dated 7.7.2006. And when the appellants preferred
their LPA, the State Government continued to maintain its changed position.
To say the least this was not expected from the State Government.
Unfortunately enough, the Division Bench also approved this re-opening of
the controversy once again.
38. In the present appeals we are concerned with the legality of
the Govt. Resolution dated 7.7.2006 which the State Govt. defended before
the single judge but gave up the defence in the appeal before the Division
Bench. The State Govt. went to the extent of contending that the decision
in CWJC No.8679/2002 could not be treated as binding, although it had been
confirmed by Division Bench and by this Court. Unfortunately enough we
must record that the Division Bench also failed to interfere with this
digression on the part of the State Govt. and the learned Single Judge.
The Division Bench ignored that, assuming that perhaps two views could be
canvassed earlier while interpreting the notification dated 11.4.1977, the
order dated 19.4.2006 passed by this Court at the end of the second round
of these proceedings left no ambiguity whatsoever, and the State Govt. was
expected to follow and honour the same. The State Govt. did act
accordingly, and issued the Govt. resolution dated 7.7.2006 to honour the
judgments. But immediately after the decision of the single judge in CWJC
10091 of 2006, went to the other extreme to rescind the same, and not to
defend it in appeal. We have noted the contents of the Govt. resolution
dated 7.7.2006. In our view it is well reasoned and justifiably issued to
reduce the rigour of stagnation. Whether the resolution of the problem was
seen as based on the notification of 11.4.1977 or independently under the
resolution dated 7.7.2006, there was no reason to interfere therein.
39. The hierarchy of the Courts requires the High Courts also to accept
the decision of this Court, and its interpretation of the orders issued by
the executive. Any departure therefrom will lead only to indiscipline and
anarchy. The High Courts cannot ignore Article 141 of the Constitution
which clearly states, that the law declared by this Court is binding on all
Courts within the territory of India. As observed by this Court in para 28
of the State of West Bengal and others Vs. Shivananda Pathak and others
reported in 1998 (5) SCC 513:-
“If a judgment is overruled by the higher court, the judicial
discipline requires that the judge whose judgment is overruled must
submit to that judgment. He cannot, in the same proceedings or in
collateral proceedings between the same parties, rewrite the overruled
judgment..........”
In the same vein we may state that when the judgment of a Court is
confirmed by the higher court, the judicial discipline requires that Court
to accept that judgment, and it should not in collateral proceedings write
a judgment contrary to the confirmed judgment. We may as well note the
observations of Krishna Iyer, J. in Fuzlunbi Vs. K. Khader Vali and another
reported in 1980 (4) SCC 125:-
“…….No judge in India, except a larger Bench of the Supreme
court, without a departure from judicial discipline can whittle down,
wish away or be unbound by the ratio of the judgment of the Supreme
Court.”
40. That apart, even if one looks to the merits of the rival
contentions, there is no dispute that although the rules do provide for a
channel of promotion to the subordinate teachers, actually the chances of
promotion for them are very less. There is a serious stagnation as far as
the subordinate teachers are concerned. The Saran Singh Committee was
essentially constituted to go into this very issue. As can be seen from
the report of the committee, the various service associations in the State
were clamouring for appropriate provision for promotion on par with the
Bihar Engineering Service. It is true that the report of the committee
does refer to the 59 posts in the miscellaneous cadre while examining the
problem. However, after directing the shifting of the engineers in the
Education Department to the Public Works Department, and the doctors to the
Health Services in sub-clause (1) and (2) of para 11.10, the committee
recommended in sub-clause (3) that “the remaining posts should be included
in the general cadre and manned by officers of Bihar Education Service as
far as possible”. The notification issued by the State Govt. on 11.4.1977
approved the recommendation of the committee, but the wording used while
approving the recommendation is bit different.
41. It cannot be disputed that it was for the State Govt. to take
appropriate decision on the recommendation. The recommendations made by
the committee will of course have to be seen as the material placed before
the Govt. However, ultimately, it is the decision of the Govt. which is
relevant and therefore one has to look at the wording in the notification
of the State Govt. Here the approved recommendation in the wording used by
the State Govt. is as follows:-
“Various Posts such as Teacher (except the teachers of Netarhat)
and the posts of Stadium managers etc should be included in the Bihar
Education Service cadre and the Officers of the cadre should be
appointed on these posts.”
(emphasis supplied)
This notification was clearly understood by the Education Department.
Earlier it had prepared the draft resolution for the approval of the
Finance Department recommending the merger of the two cadres. And later
the State Govt. had also rightly passed the resolution 7.7.2006 (in
concurrence with the Finance Department) after the decision of this Court
at the end of the second round of litigation.
42. Much emphasis was laid by the Bihar Education Service
Association on the absence of common service rules, to oppose the merger of
the subordinate service employees into the State Service Class-II. In this
context we must note that the decision to merge the cadre is a matter of
policy as held by this Court in S.P. Shivprasad Pipal Vs. Union of India
and others reported in 1998 (4) SCC 598. It is for the state to decide as
to which cadres should be merged so long as the decision is not arbitrary
or unreasonable. As stated earlier, the resolution dated 7.7.2006 is well
reasoned and justified, and cannot be called arbitrary or unreasonable to
be hit by Article 14. It deserved to be upheld. It is possible that the
merger may affect the prospects of some employees but this cannot be a
reason to set-aside the merger. Once the State Govt. has taken the
necessary decision to merge the two cadres in a given case, the State Govt.
is expected to follow it by framing the necessary rules.
43. One of the pleas raised by the employees of the Bihar Education
Service was that the subordinate teachers did not belong to the State
Service. We may note at this stage that in their list of dates and events
of the Civil Appeals, the appellants have specifically referred to the fact
that these subordinate services are included in Appendix-16 of the Bihar
Service Code, and therefore, it is contended that it will be incorrect to
state that the subordinate service is not a part of the State Service. If
we refer to the code we find that all the posts in subordinate service
other than those classified as Class-I and Class-II State Services are
mentioned at Item 119 in Appendix-16 of the Bihar Service Code, 1952.
Thus, there is no merit in this objection as well.
44. This entire discussion leads us to only one conclusion that the
learned Single Judge who heard the petition CWJC No.10091/2006, which began
the third round of litigation filed on behalf of the Bihar Education
Service Association, had no business to re-open the entire controversy,
even otherwise. The State Govt. had already passed a resolution dated
7.7.2006 after the order of this Court dated 19.4.2006. While examining
the legality of that resolution (which was defended by the State Govt. at
this stage before the learned Single Judge) the entire controversy was once
again gone into. The law of finality of decisions which is enshrined in the
principle of res-judicata or principles analogous thereto, does not permit
any such re-examination, and the learned Judge clearly failed to recognize
the same.
45. For the reasons stated above, these appeals (arising out of SLP
Nos.26675-76 of 2010) are allowed. The judgment and order passed by the
Division Bench of Patna High Court in LPA No.418/2009 and other LPAs dated
21.5.2010, and that of the learned Single Judge dated 31.10.2007 in CWJC
No.8679/2002 are set-aside and the said Writ Petition is hereby dismissed.
Consequently the notification dated 19.11.2007 issued pursuant to the
decision of the Single Judge will also stand quashed and set-aside. The
State Govt. Resolution dated 7.7.2006 is upheld. The state shall proceed
to act accordingly. I.A. Nos.19-20/2011 are dismissed. As stated by Mr.
Patwalia, learned senior counsel for the appellants, the appellants no
longer press for the action for contempt arising out of CWJC No.8679/2002.
Contempt Petition Nos. 386-387/2011, will also accordingly stand disposed
of, as not pressed.
46. The attitude of the State Govt. in this matter has caused
unnecessary anxiety to a large number of teachers.
The State Govt. must
realise that in a country where there is so much illiteracy and where there
are a large number of first generation students, the role of the primary
and secondary teachers is very important.
They have to be treated
honourably and given appropriate pay and chances of promotion.
It is
certainly not expected of the State Govt. to drag them to the Court in
litigation for years together.
47. Though the appeals stand disposed of as above,
we do record our
strong displeasure for the manner in which the State of Bihar kept on
changing its stand from time to time.
This is not expected from the State
Govt.
The manner in which the learned Single Judge proceeded with the Writ
Petition No.1009/2006 to reopen the entire controversy, and also the
Division Bench in LPA No.418/2003 in approving that approach is also far
from satisfactory.
If the orders passed by this Court were not clear to
the State Govt. or any party, it could have certainly approached this Court
for the clarification thereof.
But it could not have setup a contrary plea
in a collateral proceeding.
We do not expect such an approach from the
State Govt. and least from the High Court. Having stated this, although we
have expressed out displeasure about the approach of the State Government,
we refrain from passing any order as to costs.
…………………………………..J.
( Surinder Singh Nijjar )
…………………………………..J.
( H.L. Gokhale )
New Delhi
Dated: November 23, 2011
