S NATARAJAN Vs. STATE OF TAMILNADU

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The Petitioner has come forward with this petition seeking for the relief of quashing the Government Letter No. 34947/E7/2002-05 Rural Development Department dated January 9, 2003 and Govt. Letter No. 28725/E4/2007, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department dated March 18, 2008 on the file of the 1st Respondent herein insofar as the same is contrary to G.O. (Ms) No. 85, Rural Development Department, dated July 10, 2002 and consequently direct the Respondents herein to forthwith re-fix the pension of the Petitioner herein by counting the two years training period (from June 1958 to May 1960) spent by him in the Rural Extension Training Centre, Aduthurai as qualifying service for pension and pay arrears of pension and other benefits with due interest.

(2.) The case of the Petitioner is that he was appointed as Grama Sevak in the year 1958 and he was under training for a period of two years from June 195 8 to May 1960 in Rural Extension Training Centre, Aduthurai. Thereafter, the Petitioner joined duty on November 19, 1960 as Grama Sevak Grade II now known as Rural Welfare Officer, Grade II. The Petitioner was promoted to the post of Extension Officer in Rural Development Department and retired on October 31, 1991.

(3.) The period of training to be undergone by the Rural Welfare Officers was directed to be counted for the purpose of probation and increment as per G.O. Ms. No. 535, Rural Development Department, dated July 10, 1986. The Government issued G.O. Ms. No. 164, Rural Development (E4) Department dated July 30, 1992 directing that the Rural Welfare Officers undergone the training prior to the issue of G.O. Ms. No. 535, Rural Development Department dated July 10, 1986 be permitted to count the period of training for the purpose of probation and increment. The Petitioner having completed the training during the year 1960 is entitled to count the two years training period spent by him in Rural Extension Centre, for the purpose of probation and increment based on G.O. Ms. No. 164, Rural Development Department dated July 30, 1992. Subsequently Government have issued orders in G.O. Ms. No. 85, Rural Development (E7) Department dated July 10, 2002 directing that the period spent by Rural Welfare Officers in the training centre shall be counted as qualifying service for the purpose of pension. By virtue of the aforesaid Government orders, the Petitioner is eligible to count the two years training period (from June 1958 to May 1960) for the purpose of fixing pension.