SURJEET SINGH LDC Vs. PUNJAB STATE ELECTRICITY BOARD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner was working as a Lower Division Clerk in the Punjab State Electricity Board. He had joined service on June 18, 1969, on purely ad hoc basis. His services were regularised vide order dated June 30, 1971. On December 13, 1996, the petitioner "issued notice to the Superintending Engineer, PSEB Ferozepur....." By this notice, the petitioner had requested that he may be allowed to retire w.e.f. March 12, 1997. The respondents having not accepted the petitioner's request, he has filed this writ petition. The petitioner alleges that "after expiry of the notice period .....(he) stands retired....." He prays that he "be ordered to be retired w.e.f. 12.3.1997 on the expirty of notice period and be granted all pension, gratuity and other retiral benefits alongwith interest @ 18% per annum to be compounded annually."

(2.) The respondents contest the petitioner's claim. It has been inter alia averred that his notice "was considered and rejected by the competent authority i.e. Superintending Engineer. Said decision was communicated to the Executive Engineer, Zira vide letter No. 4375 dated 25.2.97, copy of which is at Annexure R/1." It has also been pointed out that the matter had been reconsidered by the Superintending Engineer who had found that there were "as many as 11 charge sheets/enquiries pending against Surjit Singh petitioner." It has, thus, been found that "it is not in the interest of the Board to retire the petitioner". On these premises, the respondents maintain that the writ petition be dismissed.

(3.) The petitioner has filed a replication.