T M DAK Vs. HARYANA AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY, HISSAR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The controversy here is with regard to the inter se seniority of two Associate Professors in the department of Sociology of the Haryana Agricultural University. The contentants being the petitioner Dr. T.M. Dak, who after serving in the department for a couple of years on foreign service, was later permanently absorbed and the respondent Dr. R.K. Punia who, while the petitioner was on foreign service, was directly appointed to the post.

(2.) To give the relevant factual background the petitioner Dr. T.M. Dak was appointed Lecturer in the Extension Education Institute at Nilokheri on February 9, 1966. Later in December 1976 he was promoted as vice-principal of this institute. On December 26, 1930, he was transferred on foreign service to the Haryana Agricultural University as Rural Sociologist/Assistant Professor in the department of Sociology for a period of two years. He joined this post on March 17, 1981. The period of foreign service was subsequently extended until the Haryana Agricultural University decided to permanently absorb him with effect from September 18, 1986. In the meanwhile on December 16, 1982, Dr. R.K. Punia was appointed Associate Professor in the same department. In 1987 Dr. R.K. Punia was selected to officiate as head of the department of Sociology treating him to be the senior of the two. It is this that led to the filing of this writ of petition.

(3.) Teachers of the University including teachers of the Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Departments transferred to the University on foreign service and other teachers on foreign service with the University shall be governed by the conditions of service laid down in the succeeding clauses.