New Delhi:
The Supreme Court today, while ordering the appointment of a poor widow on compassionate grounds, slammed the attitude of government authorities filing frivolous appeals.
The top court directed the Chennai Port Trust to make the appointment within one month and ordered the Port Trust to pay Rs one lakh to the widow.
The top court said, "Courts across the country witness appeals on frivolous grounds resulting in wastage of public money and consuming valuable time of the courts. This happens because officers involved in these frivolous appeals are not personally responsible and don't pay from their pockets."
The case relates to the appointment of one S Jayachitra whose husband died in 2000 as a peon at the Chennai Port Trust.
After the death, Jayachitra applied for compassionate appointment at the Port Trust. However her application was registered only in 2004.
In November 2010, the Chennai Port Trust, quoting the Centre's orders that compassionate appointment can't be considered after three years, rejected her appointment.
She approached the Madras High Court and got the ruling in her favour in November 2012.
The Port Trust appealed against the order before a division bench, which on September 25 this year confirmed the earlier order and directed the Port Trust to appoint the widow.
The Port Trust then approached the Supreme Court, which today dismissed the appeal. The court directed that the widow be paid from 2005, and that she should be given the benefit of revised pay.
The Supreme Court also directed the Chennai Port Trust to file a compliance report of its orders before the Madras High Court within 6 weeks, failing which contempt proceedings against Chennai Port Trust officials could be initiated.