BADAL SINGH Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner was allegedly inducted into the service of the respondents as a Driver on 19.4.1975. On the basis of his aforesaid date of appointment, he claims to have been completed 24 years of service on 19.4.1999. On account of completing 24 years of service, he claims proficiency step up on account of the fact that he was not the beneficiary of a single promotion ever since his induction into service. The instant claim by the petitioner was declined by an order dated 30.11.2000. The relevant part of the aforesaid order is being extracted hereunder:

(2.) The aforesaid order is subject matter of challenge at the hands of the petitioner.

(3.) The first question to be adjudicated upon is whether proficiency step up can be declined on account of the fact that an employee does not satisfy the terms and conditions including qualification prescribed for promotion to a higher scale. Insofar as the instant issue is concerned, learned Counsel for the parties have invited our attention to the policy instructions dated 25.9.1998 dealing with the placement in higher scale and proficiency step up. Learned Counsel for the respondents has further brought to our notice paragraph 4 of the aforesaid policy instructions, which is being extracted hereunder: