Legal Correspondent
Shimla, November 17
With a view to ascertain factual position regarding the services rendered by the driver with the revenue department, the HP high court issued notices to four tehsildars, who served in Bharmaur tehsil of Chamba district.
The case
- The petitioner alleged that he was appointed as driver in the office of tehsildar, Bharmour, Chamba, in 2016 and is plying the tehsildar's vehicle right from his appointment.
- He alleged that from 2017, the department has stopped paying him salary.
- The respondent officers, in their reply, have disputed the very engagement of the petitioner as driver.
- So the court has impleaded four tehsildars as party respondents and issued notices to them.
A division bench, comprising Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Satyen Vaidya, passed this order on a petition filed by one Kewal Singh, who has alleged that he was initially appointed as driver in the office of tehsildar, Tehsil Officer, Bharmour, Chamba, in 2016 on a temporary basis and is plying the vehicle of the tehsildar right from his initial appointment.
He has alleged that he is continuously working as a driver with the revenue department, but from the year 2017, the department has stopped paying him salary.
During the course of hearing, the court observed that "the respondents in their reply have disputed the very engagement of the petitioner as driver whereas overwhelming records produced by the petitioner clearly indicates that the petitioner was not only engaged as a driver but he has also performed his duties as such from October 24, 2017 to March 22, 2021 with different officers/tehsildars.
The court further observed that "if the petitioner was not appointed as a driver then how he was allowed to touch the government vehicle and drive the same for four years."
The court said this can be well explained by the officers/tehsildars under whom he had worked during the aforesaid period, for which these tehsildars need to be impleaded as party respondents. Therefore, the court issued notices to four tehsildars by names, who have served in Bharmaur tehsil during the period when the petitioner allegedly drove the vehicle attached to the establishment of Bharmour tehsil.
While issuing notices the court directed the newly added respondents to submit their replies on or before December 6.
Courtesy: Tribune News Service