RAGHUNANDANAN Vs. GREATER COCHIN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner entered the service of the Greater Cochin Development Authority (the "GCDA") as a Junior Engineer (now redesignated as Assistant Engineer) on 1st April 1978. He is an aspirant for promotion to the higher post of Assistant Executive Engineer (formerly known as Assistant Engineer).

(2.) Under R.24 of the Greater Cochin Development Authority Rules, 1977, it is provided as follows:

(3.) When the petitioner sent Exts. P3 and P4 representations to the Greater Cochin Development Authority pressing his claim for promotion, the question arose whether the petitioner's service under the Government of Tamil Nadu could be accepted as qualifying service in terms of R.4(d)(1) of the Government Rules. The petitioner had served the Tamil Nadu Government for 6 1/2 years before he joined the Greater Cochin Development Authority. Before joining the Tamil Nadu Government, the petitioner had served the Kerala Government for 1 1/2 years, which period was not sufficient for the purpose of the Government Rules. If the service of the petitioner under the Tamil Nadu Government was not reckoned as service for the purpose of R.4(d)(1) of the Government Rules, the petitioner would not be qualified for promotion under the Greater Cochin Development Authority. To clarify this doubt, the Greater Cochin Development Authority wrote to the Government asking for their opinion in the following words: