VISHAL SHARMA Vs. HARYANA STATE ELECTRICITY BOARD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner's request for appointment on Compassionate grounds having been rejected by the Haryana State Electricity Board, he has approached this Court through the present writ petition.

(2.) THE petitioner's father was working as a Lineman with the Respondent Board. On November 22, 1982, he was electrocuted and died. The petitioner's mother was appointed as clerk. On November 8, 1983, she died of heart-attack. At that time, the Petitioner was only seven years old. The petitioner and his young sister survived these calamities. He passed his matriculation examination in July, 1994. On August 2, 1994, he submitted an application to the Board for appointment as a clerk. He submitted another representation on October 25, 1994. No reply having been received, he has approached this Court through the present petition.

(3.) THE respondents contest the petitioner's claim on the ground that the request has been made after a period of 11 years which is highly belated and suffers from laches. According to the respondents, the Board had fixed a time limit of one year within which the dependent of a deceased could seek the facility of employment under the ex-gratia scheme vide its order dated September 26, 1985. Thereafter, it was provided that in case of a widow with minor children, the period of one year may be extended to three years provided a request for employment has been made within a period of one year from the date of the death of the employee. Since, the petitioner's request was received in August 1994, it cannot now be entertained.