P K PETHANASWAMY Vs. STATE OF TAMIL NADU

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner was appointed as Forest Ranger in Forest Department on 01.03.1952. The petitioner was promoted as Assistant Conservator of Forests on 21.09.1974 in the Tamil Nadu State Forest Service. The petitioner served as Divisional Forest Officer from 12.07.1985 and as Forest Engineer, Trichy, from 20.06.1986, the post equivalent to that of District Forest Officer, in the pay scale of Assistant Conservator of Forests.

(2.) THE next channel of promotion from post of District Forest Officer, is to the post of Deputy Conservator of Forests. The petitioner was to attain the age of superannuation on 31.07.1987. A charge memo under Rule 17(b) of Tamil Nadu Civil Services (D&A) Rules, was served on the petitioner 51 days prior to the date of superannuation. The charges against petitioner related to the misconduct of the year 1978-1979.

(3.) THE order of suspension as also charge memo was quashed by the learned Tamil Nadu Administrative Tribunal, and the respondents were restrained to further proceed with the departmental enquiry with directions to allow the petitioner to retire from the date of his superannuation, with all consequential benefits.