VIJAYSINGH RAMSINGH PATIL Vs. STATE OF MAHARASHTRA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard. Rule. It is made returnable forthwith. Smt. Vaishali N. Patil - Jadhav, Mr. K.N. Lokhande and Mr. S.B. Yawalkar, learned Additional Government Pleaders waive service for the respondent - State. At the joint request of learned advocate for the petitioners and the learned AGPs, the matters are heard finally at the admission stage.

(2.) The common issue that arises for our consideration in these three writ petitions is, whether part time librarians are entitled to the benefit of pension and other pensionary benefits?

(3.) Since an issue of law is involved in the present petitions, factual matrix in respect of each petitioner is not of much relevance and therefore, we do not propose to narrate facts in respect of each of the writ petition. Suffice it to state that all the three petitioners were initially recruited on the post of 'part time Librarian' in the respective schools. Initially, approval was granted for sanction of the post of the part-time librarian in the respective schools. After appointments of the petitioners, approval has been granted for their appointments as part-time librarians. In accordance with the approvals granted, the petitioners have received salaries payable for the post of part time librarian by virtue of grant-in-aid. All the petitioners continued to work on the post of part time librarian and the present petitions are filed by them on the verge of their retirements. In fact, the petitioner in Writ Petition No. 12590 of 2021 had retired on the date of filing of the petition.