OA No. 823/2016 filed by Mr. Santosh Kumar and 20 others - forwarding of CAT Judgement. (English)

CIIEFINAI BENCII oA/310/00823/2016 Dated this the 24th day of September, Tlvo Thousand Tbrenty Five CORAI\{: IION'BLE MR M. SWAIVTINATHAN. MEMBER (O AIYD HON'BLE MR. SrSIR KUMAR RAIHO, MEMBER(A) L. S.Santhosh Kumar, S/o V Sharunuganathan, 2/5, ESIC Staff Quarters, Kaleeswara Nagar, Kattoor, Coimbatore. 2.M. Rajasekaran, S/o M. Murugarl B-t24, ESIC Staff Quarters, 143, Sterling Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai. 3.A. Puviyarasi, Wo R. Prabhu, gN3L,Asath Street, Ami 4.D. Amudha Kalaiyarasi, D/o ivlDaruman, 25l44,MGR Streef Kamaraj Nagar, New Perungalathur, Chennai. 5. V. Sriraj sivashankar, S/o M. Varadamjan, l, 62- 1,, Jawahar Main Road, Punjai Puliyampatti, S athyamangalarn T alulq Erode District. ffi,r 1 OANo.310/0092312016 CENTRAL ADMIMSTRATT\TE TRIBI'NAL 5641528/2025/SEC-E3-ESICHQ 1 File No. A-11020/1/2023-E-III (Computer No. 191671) Generated from eOffice by Mahesh Kumar, SSO-EB3-MK, SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICER(E3), Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) on 30/10/2025 12:42 pm 6.K.P. Arulchezian, S/o K.Paneerselvam, B-40, ESIC Staff Quarters, 143, Sterling Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai. 7.S.Selvam, S/o M.Soundara Rajan, 54, St. Thomas Streeq AKANagar, Oragadam, Ambattur, Chennai. 8.R. Hari Vinod, S/o V. Raghunattu 2613, B,4n Street, Vt{R Nagar, Vadavalli, Co imbatore. 9.8. Kalaivani, Wo J. Satheesh Kumar, E!-53, ESICStaff Quarters, 143, Sterling Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai. l0.S.Gunaseelan Daniel, S/o (late) I. Soundararajan, L 46 I 40, Thiruneermalai Road, West Tambaram, Chennai. 11.S. Vinod Kurnar, S/o K.Somu Kumar, 13, Dr.Ambedkar Skeet Palavanthangal, Chennai. [2.S.Revathi, D/o P. Selvam, 9-67, ESIC Staff Quarters, .,143; Stertihg Road, 2 OA l.lc.3 1 0 I 00823 120 I 6 Nungamb akkbrn"Chennai. ' ,. r'' {, ,:.. l',." ...(.bt:,: b- ) .[ it: I 5641528/2025/SEC-E3-ESICHQ 2 File No. A-11020/1/2023-E-III (Computer No. 191671) Generated from eOffice by Mahesh Kumar, SSO-EB3-MK, SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICER(E3), Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) on 30/10/2025 12:42 pm J t 3 OANo.310/008nn0rc 1 3 . M.A.Mohamed Yas ar Arafath, S/o Ahamed Meeran, B-46, ESIC Staff Quarters, 143, Sterling Road Nungabakkam,Chennai. 14.M. Ramya IM/o D. Madhan, 170-8, 2od Cross Strree! Natesan Nagaq Virugambakkam, Chennai. l5.A.Virnala, Wo P. Muthukumar, B-1 14, ESIC Staff Quarters, 143, Sterling Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai. 16.5. Manikandan, S/o V.Subramanian, 64, Periyakoladi, Lotus Nagar, Thiruverkadq Chennai. 17.R Vilasini, V//o G. Manikandan, 3817, Thiruvalluvar Apartments, TNHB 608 Flats, Ayapakkam, Chennai. 18.K. Giridharan, S/o K.Kamalakannarl F2, AMRAAS CRESCENT, No.1, Aryacowda Road, Rangarajapuram, Kodambakkam, Chennai. 20.Y. Sivananthan, S/o M.S. Velpandian, 23, Balaji Nagar 2nd Cross Streeq , Kalai Nagar Extension, Madurai. 19.M. Pitchaivel, S/o M. Mahalingam, 18, Velu MudhaLi Street, Ranipet. 5641528/2025/SEC-E3-ESICHQ 3 File No. A-11020/1/2023-E-III (Computer No. 191671) Generated from eOffice by Mahesh Kumar, SSO-EB3-MK, SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICER(E3), Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) on 30/10/2025 12:42 pm L / 21.S.S. Rajaganesh. S/o S.J. Sekar, 25 I lT,Arul Mani Street, Military Line, Samathanapuram, Palayamkottai, Tirunelveli. By Advocate Mr. A. Irudayam l.The Ernployees' Siate Insurance Corporation (To be represented by The Director General) ESI Corporation, Head Quarters Offtce, G.I.G. Marg,New Delhi. 2.The Regional Director, ESI Coqporation, Regional Offtce, 143, Sterling Road, Nungambakkam, Chennai. 3.The Union of India rep by its Secretary, Ministqy of Labour and Employment Sluam Shakti Bhavan, New Delhi. ByAdvocate Mr. C.V. Rarnachandra Murthy Mr. Su. Srinivasan, SCGSC 4 OANo.310/0082312016 Applicants Vs. Respondents I I I t-, ].-1.- ,, F -- trr 5641528/2025/SEC-E3-ESICHQ 4 File No. A-11020/1/2023-E-III (Computer No. 191671) Generated from eOffice by Mahesh Kumar, SSO-EB3-MK, SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICER(E3), Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) on 30/10/2025 12:42 pm OANo.310/00823/2016 ORDER (Pronounced by llon'ble Mr. M. Srvaminathan, Judieial Member) Twenty one applicants have joined together in filing this OA seeking the following relief: a) Quash the Memorandum No. A-40/11/1l20ll-E- Itr. Col.tr dated 05.09.2011 followed by another Memorandum of even No. dated 04.11.2011 issued by the 1$ respondent together with the offrce order No.368 @) of 2011 in File 5l-A-ll/2ll2009lLdmrl.l dated 13.12.2011 of the 2nd respondent based on the erronoous approval of upgradation of LDCs under sub-paras (t) and (ii) of para No.1 of he letter dated 01.09.201i addressed by the 3d respondent to the ls respondent, on the grounds of violation of DOPT, Government of India Office Memorandun No.AB 1401716612088-Estt. RR dated 09.03.2009 as well as violation of Recruitment regulations as applicable to UDCs b) Quash the Notification portion under the second tablo relating to 'LDCE for the post of Assistant" therein notiff'ng "L62 eligible candidates" but not eligible as they are not entitled to be bome in the UDC cadre against 27 vacancies f,or the "Vacancy e,ar 2015-16" under the circular No.5 l-4/36/2013 Admin-I dated 10.12.2015 issued by the zon respondent followed by the "Details of Eligible Applicant's in Tamil Nadu Region for vacancy year 2-15-16 therein detailing 162 LDCs applicants ' enoneously termed as regular UDCs wef 01.L2.20L1 listed from S1. No.1 to 162 both issued by the 2d respondent together with announcernent of 196 Eligible candidates eligible to appear for the limited departmental examination to be held on 20o 21't February,2015 announced undet Letter No.A- 36(l 1/2015-exam dated 28.01.2016 issued b rs respondent, n the grounds of violatio employees state insurance corporatio 5 Division Clerk or Upper Division CIe recruitment regulations, 201 I as well as of statutory rules. 6 ] ? ., i. e'1\ E 5641528/2025/SEC-E3-ESICHQ 5 File No. A-11020/1/2023-E-III (Computer No. 191671) Generated from eOffice by Mahesh Kumar, SSO-EB3-MK, SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICER(E3), Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) on 30/10/2025 12:42 pm 6 OANo.310/00823/2016 c) And resultantly prohibit the respondents from declaring the result of limited departrnental competitive examination for UDCs held 20 & 21.02.2016 for the post of AssistairtsAlead Clerks on the ground that the notification/Ciroulars vide No.51- N36/3012013-Admn.I dated 10.12.2015 of the 2od r6spondent and circular No. A-36(11/2015-Exam dated 28.01.2016 referred under sub-para (ii) and (iii) above being statutory violationl violation ofRule of law an denial of equality of o.pportunity, denial of Natural Justice guaranteed under Artiole 14 of the Constihrtion. d) Direct the l" and Td respondents to isdue the fina1 gradation list of UDC of Tamil Nadu Region as on 31.03.2014 and thereafter by considering the representations dated 25.03.2015, 24.07.20L5,. 24.08.20-t5, 26.t1..2015, 14.12.201 5, | 5 -12.20t 5, t6.12.201' 5, t7 .12.20t5, 23.12.201 5, 3 1.12.20 | 5, 20.01.20L6, 25.02-2016 totalling to 18 representations from the period flom 25.03.2015 to 25.02.2016 &om 16 applicants in compliance with DOPT Office Memorandum NO.AB 140 I 7/6612008- Estr RR dated'09.03.2009, while examining the objections raised by the applicant's w.r.t the draft gradation 1i9t of Upper Division Clerks in r/o Tamil Nadu Region as on 3103.2014 circulated under Memorandum No.5 1-424- I 4 - I I I 2007 I Adiiln dated 31.07.2014." 2. The factual matrix of the case are as follows: The respondents issued Memoranda dated 05-09-2011 and 04-Il-2011, approving the upgradatiot of 75Yo of Lower Division Clerks (LDCs) to Upper Divisign Clerks (JDCs) in the Tamil Nadu Region, qualif,roation, and subject to vigilanoe clearance, effective 2011. This was based on the 3rd respondent's approval dated 5641528/2025/SEC-E3-ESICHQ 6 File No. A-11020/1/2023-E-III (Computer No. 191671) Generated from eOffice by Mahesh Kumar, SSO-EB3-MK, SOCIAL SECURITY OFFICER(E3), Employees State Insurance Corporation (ESIC) on 30/10/2025 12:42 pm