THOMAS PAUL KATTOOKARAN Vs. STATE OF KERALA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioners are stated to be the Professors who have from the various Aided Colleges in Kerala and they say that before getting permanent appointments in their respective Colleges, they had worked in leave vacancies for different spells, including under the Faculty Improvement Programme (FIP vacancies). They say that those appointments were made as per the relevant provisions of the applicable Statutes and that they were approved by the University, as also the Collegiate Education Department. They say that they were thus paid salary for the said periods, but that, while calculating their pension, these periods have been now left out and, therefore, that Exhibit P1 representation by petitioners 1 to 15 and Exhibit P2 by petitioners 16 to 28 were filed before the first respondent Government. They thus pray that these representations be directed to be taken up and disposed of at the earliest.

(2.) In response to the afore submissions, the learned Government Pleader submitted that there is no legal impediment in Exhibits P1 and P2 representations being taken up and disposed of; but prayed that this Court may not make any affirmative declarations as to the entitlement of the petitioners to any relief and leave it to the competent Authority to take a decision on it in terms of law.