State
of Madya Pradesh & Ors Vs. Sri S.S. Kourav &
Ors [1995] INSC 76 (19
January 1995)
Ramaswamy,
K. Ramaswamy, K. Venkatachala N. (J)
CITATION:
1995 AIR 1056 1995 SCC (3) 270 JT 1995 (2) 498 1995 SCALE (1)511
ACT:
HEAD NOTE:
ORDER
1.
Leave granted.
2.The
respondent is an Executive Engineer working in the Department of Water
Resources of the appellant-Government.
He
worked as Assistant Engineer from 3.6.89 to 25.7.92 at Bhopal and after a short spell of six
months again he was transferred to Bhopal in the promoted post of Executive Engineer and he continued at Bhopal from 19.10.92 to 9.7.93.
The
Department initiated orders of transfer at the instance of the Chief Engineer.
The respondent came to be transferred from Bhopal to Jagdalpur vide proceedings dated 9.7.93. He challenged the
correctness thereof by filing O.A.No.489/93 before the Administrative Tribunal
at Bhopal.
The
Tribunal by its order dated 7.8.93 allowed the application, quashed the order
of transfer and directed that it would be open to the Government to pass
appropriate orders for transfer on the administrative grounds as per rules and
law. It has also directed that the respondent would not be transferred during
the period of ban. Calling in question the above order, this appeal, by special
leave, came to be filed.
3.The
main ground on which the Tribunal quashed the order of transfer was that since
there was a ban imposed for transfer of the officers during the period of
President's Rule until prior approval of the Governor was obtained which was
not done in this case. Therefore, the transfer without such approval is bad in
law. The learned counsel appearing for the State has placed before us the
proceedings of transfer initiated in File No.3(B)/160/93/P/31 which would show
that on the recommendation made by the Chief Engineer, the respondent was
proposed to be transferred as Executive Engineer from Hydromateorology Division
at Bhopal to the office of the Supdtg. Engineer, W.R.Circle, Jagdalpur in a
vacant post. When it was submitted to the Secretary, after giving approval, the
Secretary despatched the file to the Advisor to the Governor. The Adviser to
the Governor has given his approval on 9.7.93 and on the same day the orders of
transfer came to be issued.
4. It
is contended for the respondent that the respondent had already worked at Jagdalpur
from 1982 to 1989 and when he was transferred to Bhopal, there was no justification to retransfer him again to Jagdalpur.
We cannot appreciate these grounds. The courts or Tribunals are not appellate
forums to decide on transfers of officers on administrative grounds. The wheels
of administration should be allowed to run smoothly and the courts or tribu- nals
are not expected to interdict the working of the administrative system by
transferring the officers to proper places. It is for the administration to
take appropriate decision and such decisions shall stand unless they are
vitiated either by malafides or by extraneous consideration without any factual
background foundation. In this case we have seen that on the administrative
grounds the transfer orders came to be issued. Therefore, we cannot go into the
expediency of posting an officer at a particular place. 500 5.It is next
contended that the approval of the Governor is a condition precedent. Unless
the Governor gives his ap- proval, the order of transfer is bad in law. We find
no force in the contention. Under the business rules the powers of the Governor
during emergency would be delegated to various officers to be exercised on his
behalf, We have seen the proceedings that the papers have been placed before
the Adviser (A.S.). Obviously, the Adviser(A.S.) had been given power to appeal
all the orders of transfer and the Administrator had given his approval on
9.7.1993. When he had given his approval, it should be deemed that he acted on
behalf of the Governor in exercising the statutory powers.
Therefore,
it is not necessary that the Governor should personally sign the orders. Under
the business rules only files in certain cases will be submitted to the
Governor for his personal consideration but not all matters of administrative
routine. In this -view, the transfer order being an administrative routine,
delegation has been made to the adviser(A.S.). Therefore, the order of transfer
is perfectly legal and valid.
6.It
is further contended that in an unfortunate situation the respondent's wife
committed suicide leaving three children and he would suffer extreme hardship
if has to work in the tribal area. This court cannot go into that question of
relative hardship. It would be for the administration to consider the facts of
a given case and mitigate the real hardship in the interest of good and
efficient administrator. If there is any such hardship, it would be open to the
respondent to make a representation to the Government and it is for the
Government to consider and take appropriate decision in that behalf 7.The
appeal is accordingly allowed but, in the circumstances, without costs.
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