#Service Records

The Rajasthan High Court has ruled that decades of uninterrupted government service cannot be nullified by the state’s own failure to preserve service records. This decision protects retired employees from punitive administrative negligence, affirming that procedural lapses by the employer cannot override substantive rights earned through long-term public service.

CAT Ahmedabad holds that employers cannot exclude service periods from pension calculations due to unavailable records, placing the onus on them to maintain accurate service documentation. The ruling reinforces that pension entitlements cannot be denied on procedural grounds, ensuring protection for retired employees under service law.

Bombay High Court reaffirms that statutory pension entitlements under service rules cannot be denied or delayed by non-statutory circulars or administrative lapses like untraceable records. The court directed the Municipal Corporation to release pensionary benefits, including gratuity and provident fund, within eight weeks, emphasizing that public employers cannot evade statutory obligations on procedural grounds.

Meghalaya High Court rules that an 11-month age discrepancy in service records cannot override entitlement to gratuity and terminal benefits after decades of unchallenged government service. Legal heirs of a retired employee are entitled to dues if the appointment was regular and no fraud was proven.

CAT Ernakulam ruled that a retired railway employee cannot be denied leave encashment due to administrative errors in service records, upholding the principle of legitimate expectation. The tribunal emphasized that certified pay slips and grievance records must prevail over retrospective corrections, protecting employees from bureaucratic oversights.