Job on compassionate grounds not a right: SC

The dependent of a deceased Government employee cannot claim state job as a matter of right, the Supreme has ruled. Instead, the financial condition of the deceased employee’s family has to be taken into consideration before offering a job to the kin, it said.

Quashing an Andhra Pradesh High Court order directing the state Government to appoint to one Savarunissa Begum, whose husband passed away while working with AP State Road Transport Corporation, a Bench comprising Justices P P Naolekar and L S Panta recalled an earlier decision of the apex court which held that the whole object of granting such an appointment was to enable the family to tide over the sudden crisis. “Mere death of an employee in harness does not entitle his family to such source of livelihood. The Government or the public authority has to examine the financial condition of the family of the deceased,” it said referring to a 1994 ruling. Earlier, the Andhra HC had directed that she be appointed on the post of either conductor or attender on compassionate grounds.

Setting aside the HC order, the SC said the Corporation had given monetary benefit (Rs 1 lakh) in addition to other benefits available to her after the sudden death of her husband. Thus, she cannot claim compassionate appointment as her right. More so, when no vacancy exists, as has been brought out.