Jagdish Singh Khehar, J. - (1.) The State of Himachal Pradesh came to be created, with effect from 25.1.1971. Consequent upon the creation of the State of Himachal Pradesh, employees engaged by the corporate sector, on their retirement, were being paid provident fund, under the provisions of the Employees' Provident Funds and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1952 (hereinafter referred to as the Provident Fund Act). The Central Government framed the Employees' Provident Funds Scheme, 1995, whereby, it replaced the earlier statutory schemes, framed under the Provident Fund Act. This scheme was adopted for the corporate sector employees, engaged in the State of Himachal Pradesh.
(2.) In order to extend better retiral benefits to these employees, the Himachal Pradesh Government framed another scheme on 29.10.1999 - the Himachal Pradesh Corporate Sector Employees Pension (Family Pension, Commutation of Pension and Gratuity) Scheme, 1999. In the present judgment, the instant scheme will be referred to as 'the 1999 Scheme'. A perusal of 'the 1999 Scheme' reveals that its application extended to employees of some of the corporate bodies (-specified in Annexure-I, appended to 'the 1999 Scheme') in Himachal Pradesh. There were in all 20 corporate entities, named in Annexure-I. These corporate bodies functioned as independent entities, under the Departments of Industries, Welfare, Horticulture, Forest, Food and Supplies, Tourism, Town and Country Planning, Housing and General Administration.
(3.) Paragraph 2 of 'the 1999 Scheme', provided for the zone of application of the said Scheme. It expressly provided, that the same would apply to only such of the employees, "who opted for the benefit under the scheme". It is necessary to expressly notice, that paragraph 2 of 'the 1999 Scheme' required, that the above option would be exercised by the employees in writing, in the format provided for the same. This option, was required to be submitted within 30 days of the notification of the scheme - by 27.11.1999. It was also provided in paragraph 2, that such of the employees who failed to exercise any option, within the period provided for, for whatever reason, would be deemed to have exercised their option, to be regulated by 'the 1999 Scheme'. It is therefore apparent, that it was imperative for all concerned employees, to express their option, to be governed by the Employees Provident Funds Scheme, 1995, in case the concerned employees, desired to avoid 'the 1999 Scheme'. In case of the exercise of such option, the concerned employee would continue to be governed by the Employees Provident Funds Scheme, 1995. Failing which, every employee, whether he opted for 'the 1999 Scheme', or chose not to make any option, would be regulated by 'the 1999 Scheme', with effect from the day the scheme was made operational - 1.4.1999.;