CAT reinstates Post Master

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Cuttack Bench, reinstated an applicant who was terminated from service on the ground of being under-age at the time of joining. The CAT Bench, comprising of Administrative Member Gokul Chandra Pati and Judicial Member Swaroop Kumar Mishra, directed the departmental authorities to reinstate the applicant within three months declaring the departmental action illegal.

The Court, which denied paying any back wages to the applicant during the period of termination following the principle of “no work no pay”, has directed if the reinstatement of the applicant will be delayed by the authorities, she is entitled for full back wages and officials responsible for the delay will pay the amount from their pocket, said petitioner’s counsel CP Sahani.

The petitioner, Kalpana Nayak of Kusambi in Salepur block had joined Department of Posts as GDS Branch Postmaster at Ostapur Branch Post Office in 2014. After two years of regular service, she was terminated from service on the ground that she was below 18 years on the date of joining. Harassed, she had filed a petition with CAT, Cuttack Bench.The court observed that though she was one less than 18 years at the time of joining, she had submitted correct information in her application form.