- (1.) The petitioners have approached this court raising a grievance maximum age for recruitment to the post of Lineman in Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd. (for short, 'the Corporation') should be enhanced to 45 years. For the purpose, they had earlier filed a petition raising a plea that the petitioners had passed the course of Lineman. For the last 15 years, the posts of Lineman were not advertised, as a result of which they had become over-age. Now since the posts have been advertised, the petitioners, who had earlier passed the course of Lineman, should also be considered by relaxing the age. The earlier writ petition was disposed of with a direction to the authorities to consider the representation made by the petitioners.
(2.) After considering the matter in detail, vide order dated 9.11.2011, Chairman-cum- Managing Director of the Corporation has rejected the claim of the petitioners, inter-alia, mentioning that the provisions of Apprenticeship Act, 1961 do not make it obligatory either for the employer to employ a trainee or a trainee to join employment after training. The kind of duties to be performed by the Lineman is arduous and further relaxation of age for 45 years would mean for reserve categories, the same may go upto 50/55 years.
(3.) Learned counsel for the petitioners while impugning the aforesaid order has not been able to show that there is any policy framed by the government providing for relaxation of age. As is evident from the impugned order, the authorities had already extended the upper age limit from 37 years to 39 years. In the absence of any rules/instructions providing for relaxation of age merely on account of the fact that the petitioners had passed their Lineman course about 10-15 years back and no posts were advertised during the interregnum, a direction cannot be given that for recruitment to the post of Lineman, the age should be relaxed.;