IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA CWP (T) No.11627 of 2008 Date of decision : June 3, 2011 Krishan Lal …Petitioner. Versus Secretary, HPSEB and others …Respondents. Coram The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surjit Singh, Judge. Whether approved for reporting?1 For the Petitioner : Mr. Varun Rana, Advocate. For the Respondents : Ms Anjula Khajuria, Advocate. Surjit Singh, Judge(Oral) Petitioner was working as Lineman with H.P.S.E.B., impleaded as respondent No.1, through its Secretary, in the year 2002, when order Annexure PA, giving him one additional increment, on completion of 23 years service, was issued. The order said that all those persons, named in it, who had been given the benefit of one increment, shall have the right to opt for a date, of their choice, for fixation of pay, based on the order of grant of an extra increment. 2. Petitioner’s plea is that he was not apprised of the aforesaid order and the condition in the order that the beneficiaries were entitled to exercise the aforesaid option and his pay was fixed, without obtaining any option from him. He made representation Annexure PC, on Whether reporters of the local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? …2… 26th October, 2003. Thereafter, his pay was re-fixed, vide order dated 12th December, 2003, copy Annexure PE. Petitioner’s grievance is that even order Annexure PE has been issued, without obtaining any option from him. 3. Respondents, in their reply, have stated that the petitioner having failed to exercise the option, within the prescribed period of one month, he has forfeited his right to exercise such option. 4. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the record. 5. Admittedly, option for deferring the date of fixation of pay can be exercised within one month. In the present case, petitioner had not been intimated that he had the right to exercise such option. However, atleast in October, 2003, when he made representation Annexure PC, he was knowing that he had the right to exercise option, with regard to the date of fixation of pay. He has not exercised that option, so far. The period of one month, even if it be counted from October, 2003, when he made the representation, is over. So, now he cannot exercise the option. Writ petition is, therefore, dismissed. June 3, 2011(sd) ( Surjit Singh ), J