The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the District Educational Officer, Usilampatti, in Madurai district to provide suitable employment to a petitioner on compassionate grounds.
The court was hearing a petition filed by M. Yogamagi of Madurai. The petitioner’s mother was working as a Headmistress in a Panchayat Union Middle School in Usilampatti taluk in Madurai District. She died in 2018 while in service.
It was said that even before the death of the petitioner’s mother, his father was residing in Tiruppur and was leading an independent life. The petitioner made an application seeking appointment on compassionate grounds in 2020.
The petitioner’s application was rejected on the grounds that the father was employed and the petitioner’s family was receiving a monthly pension after the death of the petitioner’s mother. The petitioner challenged the order passed by the authorities.
Justice L. Victoria Gowri observed that a careful perusal of the government order issued in 2020 would reveal that if any person, in the deceased government servant’s family was employed even before the death of the government servant but was living separately without extending any help to the family, then the case of other eligible dependant will be considered.
It was also mandated in the government order that the family pension of the deceased employee need not be taken into account while assessing the income of the family, the court observed. The court quashed the order passed by the authorities and directed the District Educational Officer to provide employment to the petitioner on compassionate grounds in 12 weeks.
