- 1 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:2658 WP No. 102023 of 2022 IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA, DHARWAD BENCH DATED THIS THE 11TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2025 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.NAGAPRASANNA WRIT PETITION NO. 102023 OF 2022 (S-R) BETWEEN: SHIVAPPA S/O. PARAPPA MAYKAR, AGE. 64 YEARS, OCC. RETIRED GOVT. EMPLOYEE, R/O. NANDEESHWARA NAGAR, BHAIRIDEVARAKOPPA, HUBBALLI, TQ. HUBBALLI, DIST. DHARWAD. …PETITIONER (BY SRI S.B. MALLIGAWAD, ADVOCATE FOR, SRI P. N. HATTI, ADVOCATE) AND: 1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA, REPRESENTED BY SECRETARY, DEPT. OF PENSION AND SMALL SAVING AND MANAGEMENT AND CONTROLLER OF PROPERTY VIDHANA SOUDHA, BENGALURU- 560001. 2. THE COMMISSIONER HUBBALLI-DHARWAD MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, SAR-SHIDDAPPA KAMBLI MARGA HUBBALLI, PIN -580020. 3. ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR PENSION AND SMALL SAVINGS AND PROPERTY Digitally signed by VISHAL NINGAPPA PATTIHAL Location: High Court of Karnataka, Dharwad Bench, Dharwad - 2 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:2658 WP No. 102023 of 2022 MANAGEMENT, MINIVIDAHANA-SOUDHA, DHARWAD -580001. 4. THE OFFICE OF THE CHIEF ACCOUNTANT OFFICER PENSION CELL HUBBALLI-DHARWAD MUNICIPAL CORPORATION, HUBBALLI- 580020. 5. THE ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE ENGINEER, DEPT. OF HORTICULTURE HUBBALLI-DHARWAD MUINICIPAL CORPORATION, HUBBALLI DHARWAD, TQ. AND DIST. DHARWAD- 580020. …RESPONDENTS (BY SMT. KIRTHILATA R. PATIL, HCGP FOR R1, R3 & R4, SRI C. S. PATIL, ADVOCATE FOR R2 & R5) THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLE 226 AND 227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA IS PRAYING TO, WHEREFORE, IT IS MOST RESPECTFULLY PRAYED THAT THE HON BLE COURT BE PLEASED TO, ISSUE A WRIT IN NATURE OF CERTIORARI OR ANY OTHER WRIT, ORDER OR DIRECTION AND QUASH, THE ORDER DATED 14/09/2020 BEARING NO KRA.SUM: PIM.SA.U.AA.RU.NI.DHA/NEE.VAY/20-21 PASSED BY THE RESPONDENT NO.3 PRODUCED AT ANNEXURE-D. GRANT SUCH OTHER RELIEFS, WHICH THE COURTS DEEMS FIT, IN THE FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE. THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR ORDERS, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER: - 3 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:2658 WP No. 102023 of 2022 ORAL ORDER (PER: THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE M.NAGAPRASANNA) 1. The petitioner is before this Court calling in question a communication dated 14.09.2020 issued by the respondent No.3 holding that the petitioner is not entitled to an increment for completion of 25 years and 30 years of service. 2. Heard the learned counsel Sri. S. B. Malligawad on behalf of Sri.P.N.Hatti appearing for the petitioner, learned counsel Sri C. S. Patil appearing for respondent Nos.2 and 5 and the learned HCGP Smt.Kirtilata R.Patil appearing for the respondent-State 3. Facts in brief germane are as follows: The petitioner is now 65 years old. He was employed as an attender, a Group-D post, in the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation. The employment was for 40 years. The petitioner after the completion of 40 years of service retires on attaining the age of superannuation. Therefore, he joins as a Group-D employee, retires as a Group-D - 4 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:2658 WP No. 102023 of 2022 employee without an increment and promotion to the next higher post. For a Group-D employee, next higher post is of a Second Division Assistant and he would retire as a Second Division Assistant and not beyond that. 4. The petitioner retiring on attaining the age of superannuation, registers a claim, considering, even though he was eligible for increment for completion of 20 years of service and 30 years of service respectively, he has been denied. This representation results in a recommendation from the hands of the Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation and the recommendation, gets declined, which has resulted in the impugned order denying or declining to accept the claim of the petitioner on the score that he has already retired on attaining the age of superannuation. It is this that has brought the petitioner at the doors of this Court in the subject petition. 5. Learned counsel appearing for the petitioner submits that the petitioner after completion of 40 years has not got his due, either promotion or additional - 5 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:2658 WP No. 102023 of 2022 increment, for completion of requisite period of service, at 20 and 30 years of service. He would submit that it is a matter of right to the petitioner to get promotion or increments for non-grant of promotion. 6. Learned counsel appearing for the Hubballi Dharwad Municipal Corporation submits that the case of the petitioner owing to his representation had been recommended, which has been rejected by the State. 7. Learned HCGP now submits that the petitioner is not entitled to the increment of 25 years and 30 years and he has reached the maximum scale in the post of the attender. Therefore, the action of the State cannot be found fault with. 8. I have given my anxious consideration to the arguments advanced by the respective counsels. 9. The afore-narrated facts are not in dispute. As observed hereinabove, the issue revolves around a narrow compass as to whether the employee is entitled to the - 6 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:2658 WP No. 102023 of 2022 increment after 25 years and 30 years of service. The additional increment that is granted to the employee who would not get promotion or owing to circumstances where an employee cannot be promoted is by way of grant of those increments which are time bound scales on completion of 20 years and 30 years of service. 10. Admittedly, the petitioner takes birth in service as an attender and retires as an attender. He was entitled to be promoted to the post of Second Division Assistant. Promotion was never granted to him owing to manifold circumstances, but the petitioner was always entitled to the increment in lieu of such promotion that he was to be granted, as he had completed 20 years of service and 30 years of service. Service increments that are granted from time to time is nothing to do with the increment that is granted for 20 years and 30 years of service and they stand on a different footing. Merely because an employee reaches the maximum increment that can be granted in the normal course, would not mean that an employee - 7 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:2658 WP No. 102023 of 2022 would not be entitled for time bound scale/increment on completion of 20 years and 30 years of service. The term itself is additional increment. They are not regular increments that the employees are entitled to. 11. The representation was made by the petitioner which comes to be recommended by the Corporation, which reads as follows: “PÀbÉÃj ¸ÀºÁAiÀÄPÀgÀÄ(DqÀ½vÀ) ºÀÄ.zsÁ.ªÀÄ.¥Á. EªÀjUÉ C©ü£ÀAzÀ£ÉUÀ¼ÉÆA¢UÉ «µÀAiÀÄ: ²æà ²ªÀ¥Àà ¥ÀgÀ¥Àà ªÀiÁAiÀÄPÁgÀ, vÉÆÃnUÉ (¤ªÀÈwÛ) EªÀjUÉ ¥ÀjµÀÌøvÀ ¤ªÀÈwÛ ªÉÃvÀ£À ¸Ë®¨sÀåUÀ¼À£ÀÄß ªÀÄAdÆgÀÄ ªÀiÁqÀĪÀ PÀÄjvÀÄ. G¯ÉèÃR: 1. «±ÁæAw ªÉÃvÀ£À ¥ÀwæPÉ ¥ÀvÀæ ¸ÀA.JZïrJA¹/399/CAO/Pension Cell/17-18 ¢£ÁAPÀ:14-06-2017. 2. ªÀiÁ£Àå DAiÀÄÄPÀÛgÀÄ, ¸ÀzÀjAiÀĪÀjUÉ 25 & 30 ªÀµÀðUÀ¼À ºÉZÀÄѪÀj ªÉÃvÀ£À ªÀÈ¢ÞAiÀÄ DzÉñÀ ¸ÀASÉå £ÀA.JZïr.JA¹/20/10/ ¸ÀÄqÀ§Äè-04/168/2020-21 ¢£ÁAPÀ:08/05/2020. 3. ªÉÃvÀ£À ªÀÄgÀÄ ¤UÀ¢¥Àr¹zÀ DzÉñÀ ¥ÀvÀæ ¸ÀA.£ÀA.JZï.r.JA.¹/25/05/vÉÆÃ.SÁ/2020-21/ ¢£ÁAPÀ: 20.05.2020. 4. ²æà J¸ï.¦ ªÀiÁAiÀÄPÁgÀ ¤ªÀÈvÀÛ vÉÆÃnUÀ EªÀgÀ Cfð ¢£ÁAPÀ:23-06-2020. ªÀiÁ£ÀågÉÃ, ªÉÄïÁÌt¹zÀ «µÀAiÀÄ ºÁUÀÆ G¯ÉèÃRzÀ£ÀéAiÀÄ ²æà ²ªÀ¥Àà ¥ÀgÀ¥Àà ªÀiÁAiÀÄPÁgÀ, vÉÆÃnUÀ (¤ªÀÈwÛ) -¥ÀjµÀÈÌvÀ ¤ªÀÈwÛ ªÉÃvÀ£À ¸Ë®¨sÀåUÀ¼À PÀÄjvÀÄ ¢£ÁAPÀ: 23-06-2020 gÀAzÀÄ Cfð ¸À°è¹gÀÄvÁÛgÉ. E G¯ÉèÃR(1) gÀ£ÀéAiÀÄ - 8 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:2658 WP No. 102023 of 2022 F »AzÉ ¤ªÀÈwÛ ªÉÃvÀ£ÀªÀ£ÀÄß ªÀÄAdÆgÀĪÀiÁqÀ¯ÁVvÀÄÛ. ºÁUÀÆ G¯ÉèÃR (2) F ªÀiÁ£Àå DAiÀÄÄPÀÛgÀÄ, ¸ÀzÀjAiÀĪÀgÀ 25 & 30 ªÀµÀðUÀ¼À ºÉZÀÄѪÀj ªÉÃvÀ£À ªÀÈ¢ÞAiÀÄ DzÉñÀ -£ÀA.JZïrJA¹/20/10/¹qÀ§Äè-04/168/2020-21 ¢£ÁAPÀ:08/05/2020 gÀAzÀÄ DzÉò¹gÀÄvÁÛgÉ. G¯ÉèR(3) gÀ£ÀéAiÀÄ ¸ÀzÀjAiÀĪÀgÀ ªÉÃvÀ£ÀªÀ£ÀÄß 25 & 30 ªÀµÀðUÀ¼À ºÉZÀÄѪÀj ªÉÃvÀ£À ªÀÈ¢ÞAiÀÄ°è ªÉÃvÀ£À: ªÀÄgÀÄ ¤UÀ¢¥Àr¹ ¥ÀjµÀÈÌvÀ ¤ªÀÈwÛ ªÉÃvÀ£À ºÁUÀÆ ¸Ë®¨sÀåUÀ¼À£ÀÄß ªÀÄAdÆgÀÄ ªÀiÁqÀ®Ä F PɼÀÄ. £ÀªÀÄÆ¢¸À¯ÁVzÉ. PÀæ.¸ÀA ¥ÀqÉAiÀĨÉÃPÁzÀ ¤.ªÉÃvÀ£À FUÁUÀ¯Éà ¥ÀqÉzÀ ¤.ªÉÃvÀ£À ¥ÀgÀµÀÌøvÀ ¤.ªÉÃvÀ£À CAvÀgÀ 1. gÀÆ.9650+UÁæºÀå¨sÀvÉåAiÉÄ -UÀ¼ÉÆA¢UÉ (¢:01.04.2017 jAzÀ) gÀÆ.9225+UÁæºÀå¨sÀvÉåAiÉÄ- UÀ¼ÉÆA¢UÉ (¢:01.04.2017 jAzÀ) gÀÆ.425+UÁæºÀå¨sÀvÉåAiÉÄUÀ- ¼ÉÆA¢UÉ (¢:01.04.2017 jAzÀ) 2. G¥ÀzÁ£À 19300 x 33 x 1/2 = 318450/- G¥ÀzÁ£À 18450 x 33 x 1/2 = 304425/- G¥ÀzÁ£À gÀÆ.14025/- 3. ¤ªÀÈwÛ ªÉÃvÀ£À «¤ªÀÄAiÀÄ 9650 x 1/3 x 12 9.81=378666/- ¤ªÀÈwÛ ªÉÃvÀ£À «¤ªÀÄAiÀÄ 9225 x 1/3 x 12 9.81=361989/- ¤ªÀÈwÛ ªÉÃvÀ£À «¤ªÀÄAiÀÄ gÀÆ.16677/- F ªÉÄîÌAqÀ CA±ÀUÀ¼À£ÀÄß £ÀªÀÄÆ¢¸À¯ÁVzÀÄÝ ¸ÀzÀjAiÀĪÀgÀ ¥ÀjµÀÈÌvÀ ¤ªÀÈwÛ ªÉÃvÀ£ÀzÀ CA ºÀtªÀ£ÀÄß ¸ÀAzÁAiÀÄ ªÀiÁqÀĪÀ §UÉÎ ªÀiÁ£Àå ¸ÀºÁAiÀÄPÀ ¤zÉÃð±ÀPÀgÀÄ ¦AZÀt ¸ÀtÚ G½vÁAiÀÄ ªÀÄvÀÄÛ IÄt ¤ªÀðºÀuÉ E¯ÁSÉ zsÁgÀªÁqÀ EªÀjUÉ ¸ÀAzÁAiÀÄ «ªÀgÀuÉ ¥ÀvÀæªÀ£ÀÄß vÀAiÀiÁj¹ F ®UÀvï ªÀÄÄA¢£À PÀæªÀÄPÁÌV ¸ÀzÀjAiÀĪÀgÀ ªÀÄÆ® ¸ÉêÁ ¥ÀŸÀÛPÀzÉÆA¢UÉ ªÀÄvÀÄÛ ¦AZÀt zÁR¯Áw£À PÀ¼ÀÄ»¹PÉÆqÀ¯ÁVzÉ. ¸ÀºÁAiÀÄPÀ PÁAiÀÄð¤ªÁðºÀPÀ C©üAiÀÄAvÀ vÉÆÃlUÁjPÉ «¨sÁUÀ ºÀħâ½î-zsÁgÀªÁqÀ ªÀĺÁ£ÀUÀgÀ ¥Á°PÉ ºÀħâ½î,” 12. The recommendation had complete clarity as to what is the increment that the petitioner was entitled to and that had to be granted. - 9 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:2658 WP No. 102023 of 2022 13. The State rejected the same by the impugned order without any rhyme or reason. The increment as observed hereinabove is granted to take away or ward off the frustration of stagnation in the service of an employee. The stagnation has happened in the case at hand, as the petitioner for 40 years remains in the same cadre. Therefore, the petition deserves to succeed. 14. For the aforesaid reasons, the following: ORDER i. Writ petition is allowed. ii. The order dated 14.09.2020 passed by the respondent No.3 vide Annexure-D stands quashed. iii. The respondent-State is directed to reconsider the recommendation so made by the Corporation and accordingly pass necessary orders, re-fixing the pension of the - 10 - NC: 2025:KHC-D:2658 WP No. 102023 of 2022 petitioner, bearing in mind the observations in the course of the order. iv. The exercise shall be concluded within three months from the date of receipt of copy of the order, if not earlier. Ordered accordingly. Sd/- (M.NAGAPRASANNA) JUDGE KGK List No.: 1 Sl No.: 16