IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH C.W.P.No.14649 of 2006 Date of Decision:22.04.2008 Karnail Singh .....Petitioner versus State of Punjab and another .....Respondents. CORAM: HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE ASHUTOSH MOHUNTA AND HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE KANWALJIT SINGH AHLUWALIA. Present: Mr.S.S.Toor, Advocate, for the petitioner. Mr.Salil Sagar, Senior Additional Advocate General,Punjab with Mr.Yatinder Sharma, Deputy Advocate General, Punjab, for respondent No.1. Mr.A.R.Takkar, Advocate, for respondent No.2. *** ASHUTOSH MOHUNTA, J.(Oral) We have heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the record. Vide order dated 31.08.2004, 14 employees were ordered to be prematurely retired. The petitioner claims that the order is arbitrary. We have perused the written statement. It is stated by the respondents that the Corporation has been incurring continuous losses. The Punjab Government had already taken a decision for disinvestment of Punjab Tourism Development Corporation on fast track. The Corporation in the process of disinvestment, offered a scheme of Voluntary Retirement to its employees. Out of all 367 eligible employees, 360 employees have opted for voluntary retirement and the complex in which the petitioner was working had accumulated losses to the tune of Rs.54.64 lacs during the C.W.P.No.14649 of 2006 --2-- last 5 years. Consequently, it was necessary to prematurely retire the petitioner along with the employees working on other loss producing units. We are of the opinion that the decision taken by the respondents cannot be said to be either arbitrary or unjust. Dismissed. (ASHUTOSH MOHUNTA) JUDGE April 22, 2008 (KANWALJIT SINGH AHLUWALIA) seema JUDGE