R.S. MISRA Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE dispute relates to grant of double HRA to the petitioner herein, who is a Teacher working as PGT (Chemistry) with the respondent -Kendriya Vidyalaya Sangthan (in short the 'KVS'). The benefit of such double HRA is given to those employees of the KVS, who are outside the North -Eastern region and are posted to the said region. The relevant rule in this behalf is as under:

(2.) THE petitioner is also posted to North -Eastern region. He claimed the benefit of double HRA under the aforesaid provision, which was denied to him and under these circumstances, he filed OA No. 77/2006 before the Central Administrative Tribunal, Principal Bench, New Delhi under Section 19 of the Administrative Tribunal Act for grant of this benefit. Vide impugned orders dated 14.6.2006, the Tribunal has, however, rejected his prayer and that order is impugned by filing the present petition. The Tribunal has held that as per the said rule, benefit of double HRA is subject to the condition that hired private accommodation or own house of such an employee is 'at the last station of posting'. In the case of the petitioner, however, his last place of posting was Rajkot but the family was not at Rajkot from 30.10.2000 to 30.6.2003, the period during which the petitioner was posted in the NE region and, Therefore, he did not fulfil the condition for grant of the double HRA.

(3.) THE petitioner was serving as PGT (Chemistry) and was posted at KVS, Rajkot in the year 1988 when his services were terminated vide orders dated 11.2.1988. With the termination of his services he ceased to be the employee of the respondent. The petitioner challenged the said termination by filing WP(C) No. 3354/1989 in this Court. This writ petition was allowed vide orders dated 19.9.1994 and the Court directed the respondent to reinstate the petitioner with all consequential benefits. The respondent preferred LPA against that order, which was dismissed on 4.7.2000 holding that there was no legal infirmity in the judgment of the learned Single Judge. After the judgment of the Division Bench in the said LPA, the petitioner was reinstated in service. However, he was posted and transferred to Imphal on his reinstatement wherein he joined his duties on 30.10.2000.