IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Civil Writ Petition No.18726 of 2010 Date of Decision : October 14, 2010. Kashmir Singh .....Petitioner versus State of Punjab and others .....Respondents CORAM : HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE SURYA KANT. Present : Mr.N.S.Dandiwal, Advocate, for the petitioner. -.- 1. Whether Reporters of Local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? 2. To be referred to the Reporters or not? 3. Whether the judgment should be reported in the Digest? --- Surya Kant, J. (Oral) Notice of motion. On the asking of the Court, Mr.Anil Kumar Sharma, learned Additional Advocate General, Punjab accepts notice on behalf of respondent No.1 and Mr.H.S.Brar, learned Additional Advocate General, Punjab accepts notice on behalf of respondent Nos.2 to 5. In view of the nature of order which I propose to pass, there is no need to seek any counter reply from the respondents at this stage. The petitioner joined the respondent-Corporation as a Pump Operator initially on daily wages in August, 1983. He continued to serve as such till 29.9.1985 when he was retrenched. The petitioner raised an industrial dispute which was decided in his favour by the Labour Court vide award dated 3.3.1992 (Annexure P-1). Pursuant thereto, the petitioner was taken back in service and thereafter, under the directions issued by this Court in a writ petition filed earlier, his services were C.W.P.No .18726 of 2010 2 regularized w.e.f. 2.7.1990 (Annexure P-3). The petitioner's grievance is that in terms of the policy-circular as applicable to the respondent- Corporation, he is entitled to the grant of proficiency step-up increments on completion of 8 & 16 years of service, even if the same is counted from the date of regularization of his services w.e.f. 2.7.1990. It is stated that the said relief has not been granted to the petitioner despite several representations including dated 9.7.2010, 29.7.2010, 6.9.2010, 26.8.2010 and dated nil (annexures P-4 to P-8 respectively) given by him. Having heard learned counsel for the parties and considering the nature of relief sought in this writ petition, especially keeping in view the documents on record which apparently suggest that the petitioner is serving as Pump Operator since August, 1983, it appears imperative upon the respondents to consider the petitioner's claim for the grant of proficiency step-up increments on completion of 8 & 16 years' service, respectively. The writ petition is accordingly disposed of with a direction to respondent No.3 to consider the above mentioned claim of the petitioner and dispose of the same by passing a reasoned order, preferably within a period of three months, from the date of receiving a certified copy of this order. If anything is found due, the same shall also be released to the petitioner within the stipulated period. Dasti. October 14, 2010 (SURYA KANT) Mohinder JUDGE