IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA CWP(T) No.12500 of 2008 Decided on: 21.9.2011. Krishan Kumar Thakur .…Petitioner. Versus State of Himachal Pradesh and others … Respondents. _____________________________________________________ Coram The Hon’ble Mr. Justice V.K. Sharma, Judge. Whether approved for reporting?1 No. For the Petitioner. : Mr. Lovneesh Kanwar, Advocate. For the respondents. : Mr. Vinod Thakur, Dy. Advocate General. V.K. Sharma, Judge (Oral) The petitioner, who at the relevant time was working in the respondent-department as Lecturer (School Cadre-Vocational Education) on tenure basis, as per office order dated 30.6.1988, Annexure A-2, and was later on regularized as such, vide office order dated 2nd September, 1998, Annexure A-6, is aggrieved by rejection of his claim for grant of special increment, on account of his wife Smt. Neelam Thakur having undergone sterilization operation, vide certificate Annexure A-3, only on the ground that at the relevant time, he was working on tenure basis. 2. The respondents have failed to file reply, despite several opportunities having been granted. Accordingly, defence on behalf of the respondents is closed by order of the Court. 3. It need not be emphasized that the idea behind grant of special increment on account of the government servant or his/her spouse having undergone sterilization operation is manifestly to promote small family norm. 1 Whether reporters of the local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? No. 2 Thus, it does not make any difference, whether the government servant is working at the relevant time on tenure/contract/regular basis. It has been held by this Court in number of cases, one out of which is CWP No. 265 of 2011, Roshan Lal Versus State of HP & others and the connected matters, decided on 29.7.2011 that such benefit is available even to the employees working on ad hoc/tenure/contract basis at par with their counterparts working on regular basis. 4. In view of the above, the petition is allowed with a direction to the respondents/competent authority to grant special increment to the petitioner on account of his wife having undergone sterilization operation, from the due date and to pay the consequential benefits, if any, to him within three months from the date of production of copy of this judgment by the petitioner to the respondents/competent authority. 5. The petition, as also pending CMP(s), if any stand disposed of. (V.K. Sharma), Judge. 21st September, 2011 (Krn Guleria)