/2023 INSC 0073/
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IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION
CIVIL APPEAL NO.                  OF 2023
(ARISING OUT OF SLP (C) NO. 10519 OF 2020)
VIBHUTI SHANKAR PANDEY                            …APPELLANT
VERSUS
THE STATE OF MADHYA PRADESH & ORS.     …RESPONDENTS
J U D G M E N T
Leave granted.
2.   This   appeal   has   been   filed   by   the   appellant   who   is
aggrieved   by   the   order   dated   13.02.2020,   by   which   a
Division Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has set
aside   the   order   of   the   learned   Single   Judge   dated
27.06.2019, which had granted the benefit of regularization
to the present appellant.  
3.                  The case of the appellant is that he was engaged in
1980 as a Supervisor, on daily rated basis, under a project
of   the   State   Water   Resources   Department   of   Madhya

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Pradesh. The appellant sought regularization on the post of
Supervisor/Time   Keeper.   Admittedly,   the   minimum
qualification   for   the   said   post   was   matriculation   with
mathematics;   a   qualification   which   the   appellant   did   not
possess.   These   qualifications   were   relaxed   by   a
Government   Circular   dated   31.12.2010   and   the   appellant
sought   his   regularization   on   the   post   of   Supervisor/Time
Keeper,   as   he   was   qualified   for   the   post   and   had   been
working   on   daily   wage   basis   for   a   long   period   of   time.     In
fact, in another writ petition (W.P. 13997/2010) filed by the
appellant   earlier,   the   High   Court   of   Madhya   Pradesh   vide
order   dated   02.11.2017,   had   given   directions   to   the   State
Government   to   decide   the   claim   of   the   writ   petitioner   in
accordance   with   law.   Vide   order   dated   18.06.2018   issued
by   the   Office   of   Chief   Engineer,   Rani   Avanti   Bai   Lodhi
Sagar   Project,   the   claim   of   the   appellant   for   regularization
was   rejected   for   the   reasons   that   though   the   minimum
qualifications   of   matriculation   with   mathematics   will   not
come in the way for his regularization, but the fact remains
that   the   appellant   was   never   appointed   against   any   post.
Moreover,   his   appointment   was   never   made   by   the

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competent   authority   and   there   were   no   posts   available   at
the   time   for   regularization.     The   appellant   on   the   other
hand,   had   set   his   claim   for   regularization   as   persons   who
were junior to him as daily  wagers were regularized in the
year   1990   or   even   before.   The   learned   Single   Judge   while
allowing  the  writ petition  gave directions  for   regularization
of   the   appellant   from   the   date   on   which   his   juniors   were
regularized.   This   order   was   challenged   by   the   State
Government   before   a   Division   Bench   which   allowed   the
appeal of the State Government. The Division Bench rightly
held   that   the   learned   Single   Judge   has   not   followed   the
principle of law as given by this Court in   Secretary, State
of   Karnataka   and   Ors .   v.   Umadevi   and   Ors . 1
,   as   initial
appointment must be done by the competent authority and
there   must   be   a   sanctioned   post   on   which   the   daily   rated
employee   must   be   working.   These   two   conditions   were
clearly   missing   in   the   case   of   the   present   appellant.   The
Division Bench of the High Court therefore has to our mind
rightly   allowed   the   appeal   and   set   aside   the   order   dated
27.06.2019. 
1   (2006) 4 SCC 1

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4.                 In   view   of   the   law   laid   down   by   the   Constitution
Bench of this Court in  Uma Devi  (supra), the appellant had
no case for regularization. There is no scope, hence, for our
interference   with   the   order   of   the   Division   Bench   of   the
Madhya Pradesh High Court.  Appeal is dismissed. 
   
…….............................
.J.
[S. RAVINDRA BHAT]
           
 
         .
…….............................J.
                                     [SUDHANSHU DHULIA]
                                                               
New Delhi,
February 8, 2023