DEBABRATA MAITY Vs. BANGIYA GRAMIN VIKASH BANK

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Five Regional Rural Banks in West Bengal amalgamated on 21st February, 2007. They were Mallabhum Gramin Bank, Murshidabad Gramin Bank, Gour Gramin Bank, Nadia Gramin Bank and Sagar Gramin Bank. A new Regional Rural Bank, Bangiya Gramin Vikash Bank, the first respondent was established. Its head office is in Berhampur in Murshidabad District. The writ petitioner was working as an officer in the Junior Management Grade, Scale-I in Mallabhum Gramin Bank, prior to its amalgamation on 21st February, 2007. On 14th September, 2002 this bank made a notification with regard to promotion of officers from Junior Management Grade (JMG) Scale-I to the post of Middle Manager Scale-II post (MMG). According to this notification, on 23rd August, 2002 the Board of Directors of this bank resolved that 62 vacancies in the Middle Manager Grade-II would be filled up by promotion of eligible officers from JMG Scale-I.

(2.) One eligibility criterion in that notification is of great relevance. It is para-1 (b) (ii) which stipulated eight years of service as an officer in the scale-I cadre as the minimum eligibility criterion for consideration for promotion to the said post.

(3.) The basis of evaluation of candidates is also of great importance. It shows the exact weightage that was given to the factors that were considered for promotion. This would appear paragraph 1 (e) as follows:-