# SUPERINTENDENT OF POST OFFICES ETC. ETC v. P. K. RAJAMMA ETC. ETC

- **Citation:** [1977] 3 S.C.R. 678
- **Court:** Supreme Court of India
- **Decided:** 1977-04-22
- **Case number:** Civil Appehl No. 2275 of 1972
- **Bench:** M. H. Beg, A. C. Gupta, P. S. Kailasam
- **Source:** https://unisonlegal.in/judgment/supreme-court-of-india/superintendent-of-post-offices-etc-etc-v-p-k-rajamma-etc-etc-7230
- **Pages:** 5

## Headnote

Constitution of India, Art. 311(2)-Whelher the post of extra Departmental
Branch Postmasters/ Sub Post-Masters/ Delivery agents a "Civil Post" within 1he
nleaning of Art. 311(2)-Posts and Telegraphs
Extra-Departmental
Agenis
(Conduct and Service) Rules, 1964--Rule 2(b).
The respondents in all these appeals are "extra departmental agents" within
the meaning of Rule 2(b) of the Posts and Telegraphs Extra Departmental
Agents (Conduct of Service) Rules, 1964 issued under the authority of the
Government of India. They were either dismissed or removed from
service
during the period between January 1, 1966 and June 18, 1974, admittedly without complying with the provisions of Art. 311(2) of the
Constitution. The
question in each case is whether the respondent held a "civil ,post" as contemplated in Art. 311 (2) of the Constitution. The High Court of Kerala, Andhra
Pradesh & Orissa held that the respondents held a civil post under the Union of
India and the orders terminating their services in violation of Art. 31.1(2) of the
Constitution were invalid.
Dismissing the appeals the Court,
HELD : ( 1) An "extra departmental agent" held a "civil post" and his dismissal or removal would be invalid, if there was non-compliance with Art. 311(2)
of the Constitution.
f680 B-C. 682 El
(2) An extra departmental agent is not a casual worker, but he holds a post
under the administrative control of the State. It is apparent from the
1964
Rules that the employment of an extra departmental agent is in a post which
exists "apart from" the person who happens to fill it at any
particular time.
Though such a post is outside the regular civil service, there is no doubt it is a
post under the State. [681 E-F]
·
State of Assam & Ors. v. Kanak Chandra Dutta [1967] I SCR 679 @ 682
applied.
(3) The 1964 rules make it clear that these extra-departmental agents work
under the direct control and supervision of the authority who obviously have the
right to control the manner in which they must carry out their duties.
There
can be no doubt, therefore, that the relationship between the Postal Authoritits
and the extra-departmental agents are of master and S<>rvant.
(662 C-EJ
VenkaJaswanzy v. Superintendent, Post Offices, AIR 1957 Orissa
112; V.
Subbaravalu v. Superintendent of Post Offices, AIR 1961
Madras 166, l1el<l
inapplicable.
C!vIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: c. As Nos. 1172, 1354, 1355
1and 1751 of 1972.
(Appeals by Special Leave from the Judgment and Order dated the
27.9.1971 of the Kerala High Court in O.P. No. 1339/70, W.A.No.
H
8/70, W.A. No. 420/69 and O.P. No. 862 of 1969 respectively.)
AND
Civil Appehl No. 2275 of 1972
SUPDT. POST OFFICES v. P. K. RA.TAMMA (Gupta, J.)
679
(Appeal by Special Leave from the Judgment and Order dated the
18.11.1971 of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in Writ Petition No.
5662/70).
AND
Civil Appeals Nos. 1015173, 1865/74 and CA No. 506/76.
A
(From the Judgments and Orders dated the 7-9-72, 22-7-74, and
B
30-10.1975 of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in Writ P·etitions Nos.
4717171, 3914/74 and 4213/75 respectively).
AND
CA No. 1866 of 1973 and 1867 /73.
(Appeais by Special Leave from the Judgment and Order dt.
the
15.2.1972 of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in Writ Petition
No. c
2933 and 3385/71 respectively.)
AND
Civil Appeal No. 1234 of 1974.
(Appeal by Special Leave from the Judgment and Order dated the
18.10.1973 of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in S.A. No. 360 of
D
1972).
AND
Civil Appeal Nos. 1300 and 1393 of 197 6.
(From the Judgment and Order dated the 5-12-1975 of the Kerala
High Court in Writ Appeals Nos. 414 & 415 of 1975).
E
AND
Civil Appeal No. 1313 of 1976.
(Appeal by Special Leave from the Judgment and Order dated
the 10.3.1976 of the Orissa High Court in O.J. C. No. 531/74).
· Niren De, Attorney General of India in CAs 1171,
1354-1355;
V. ('. Raman, Addi. Sol. General in CAs 2275 and 1313 with B. Datta
in CAs 1172, 1355 and 2275 and Girish Chandra, for the appellants
in all the appeals.
F
I
Vepa Sarathi, N. Sudhakara

## Text

A
c
D
E
F
G
678
SUPERINTENDENT OF POST OFFICES ETC. ETC.
v.
P. K. RAJAMMA ETC. ETC.
April 22, 1977
[M. H. BEG, C.J., A. C. GUPTA AND P. S. KAILASAM, JJ.J
Constitution of India, Art. 311(2)-Whelher the post of extra Departmental
Branch Postmasters/ Sub Post-Masters/ Delivery agents a "Civil Post" within 1he
nleaning of Art. 311(2)-Posts and Telegraphs
Extra-Departmental
Agenis
(Conduct and Service) Rules, 1964--Rule 2(b).
The respondents in all these appeals are "extra departmental agents" within
the meaning of Rule 2(b) of the Posts and Telegraphs Extra Departmental
Agents (Conduct of Service) Rules, 1964 issued under the authority of the
Government of India. They were either dismissed or removed from
service
during the period between January 1, 1966 and June 18, 1974, admittedly without complying with the provisions of Art. 311(2) of the
Constitution. The
question in each case is whether the respondent held a "civil ,post" as contemplated in Art. 311 (2) of the Constitution. The High Court of Kerala, Andhra
Pradesh & Orissa held that the respondents held a civil post under the Union of
India and the orders terminating their services in violation of Art. 31.1(2) of the
Constitution were invalid.
Dismissing the appeals the Court,
HELD : ( 1) An "extra departmental agent" held a "civil post" and his dismissal or removal would be invalid, if there was non-compliance with Art. 311(2)
of the Constitution.
f680 B-C. 682 El
(2) An extra departmental agent is not a casual worker, but he holds a post
under the administrative control of the State. It is apparent from the
1964
Rules that the employment of an extra departmental agent is in a post which
exists "apart from" the person who happens to fill it at any
particular time.
Though such a post is outside the regular civil service, there is no doubt it is a
post under the State. [681 E-F]
·
State of Assam & Ors. v. Kanak Chandra Dutta [1967] I SCR 679 @ 682
applied.
(3) The 1964 rules make it clear that these extra-departmental agents work
under the direct control and supervision of the authority who obviously have the
right to control the manner in which they must carry out their duties.
There
can be no doubt, therefore, that the relationship between the Postal Authoritits
and the extra-departmental agents are of master and S<>rvant.
(662 C-EJ
VenkaJaswanzy v. Superintendent, Post Offices, AIR 1957 Orissa
112; V.
Subbaravalu v. Superintendent of Post Offices, AIR 1961
Madras 166, l1el<l
inapplicable.
C!vIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION: c. As Nos. 1172, 1354, 1355
1and 1751 of 1972.
(Appeals by Special Leave from the Judgment and Order dated the
27.9.1971 of the Kerala High Court in O.P. No. 1339/70, W.A.No.
H
8/70, W.A. No. 420/69 and O.P. No. 862 of 1969 respectively.)
AND
Civil Appehl No. 2275 of 1972
SUPDT. POST OFFICES v. P. K. RA.TAMMA (Gupta, J.)
679
(Appeal by Special Leave from the Judgment and Order dated the
18.11.1971 of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in Writ Petition No.
5662/70).
AND
Civil Appeals Nos. 1015173, 1865/74 and CA No. 506/76.
A
(From the Judgments and Orders dated the 7-9-72, 22-7-74, and
B
30-10.1975 of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in Writ P·etitions Nos.
4717171, 3914/74 and 4213/75 respectively).
AND
CA No. 1866 of 1973 and 1867 /73.
(Appeais by Special Leave from the Judgment and Order dt.
the
15.2.1972 of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in Writ Petition
No. c
2933 and 3385/71 respectively.)
AND
Civil Appeal No. 1234 of 1974.
(Appeal by Special Leave from the Judgment and Order dated the
18.10.1973 of the Andhra Pradesh High Court in S.A. No. 360 of
D
1972).
AND
Civil Appeal Nos. 1300 and 1393 of 197 6.
(From the Judgment and Order dated the 5-12-1975 of the Kerala
High Court in Writ Appeals Nos. 414 & 415 of 1975).
E
AND
Civil Appeal No. 1313 of 1976.
(Appeal by Special Leave from the Judgment and Order dated
the 10.3.1976 of the Orissa High Court in O.J. C. No. 531/74).
· Niren De, Attorney General of India in CAs 1171,
1354-1355;
V. ('. Raman, Addi. Sol. General in CAs 2275 and 1313 with B. Datta
in CAs 1172, 1355 and 2275 and Girish Chandra, for the appellants
in all the appeals.
F
I
Vepa Sarathi, N. Sudhakaran and P. K. Pillai for respondents in
CA 1172/72.
G
Vepa Sarathi (1354) K. M. K. Nair and Mrs. B. Krishnan for respondents in CAs 1354, 1751/72 and 1300 and 1393 of 1976.
Mrs. S. Gopalakrishnan, for respondent in CA 1355.
K. layaram and K. Ram Kumar for respondents in CAs 1866-67,
1015/73 and 1865 of 1974 and 506/76.
Mrs. Veena Devi Khanna, for respondent in CA 2275/72.
C. S. S Rao, for respondent in CA 1313/76.
H
680
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[ 1977) 3 S.C.R.
A
The Judgment of the Court was delivered by
GUPTA, S.-The respondents in all these fourteen appeals, some
of which are on certificate and some by special leave, are extra-departmental agents connected with the postal departioont.
Six of these
appeals are from the Kerala High Court, seven from the Andhra Pradesh High Court and one from the Orissa High Court.
These resB
pondents were either dismissed or removed from service during
the
period between January !, 1966 and June 18, 1974, and admittedly
the order of dismissal or removal was passed without complying with
the provisions of Article 311 (2) of the Constitution.
The question
in each case is whether the respondent held a civil post as contemplated
in Article 311 of the Constitution; if he did the dismissal or removal,
as the case may be, would be unquestionably invalid for non-compliC
ance with Article 311 ( 2) .
·
The conditions of service of the respondents arc governed by a
body of rnles called the Posts and Telegraphs Extra Departmental
Agents (Conduct and Service) Rules, 1964 (herc:nafter called
the
mies) issued under the authority of the Government of India. Rule
D
2 (b) of the rnles defining "Extra Departmental Agent" includes within
the category, among others, Extra Departmental Sub Postmastern.
Extra Departmental Branch Postmasters, Extra Departmental Delivery
Agents, and several sections of class IV employees.
Eleven of the respondents arc extra departmental branch postmasters, one is an extra
depai tmental delivery agent, and two are class IV extra departmental
E
employees. In all these casesl the High Courts have found that the
respondents held civil posts under the Union of India and the orders
terminating their services in violation of Article 311 (2) of the ConstiF
G
H
tution were invalid.
This Court in State of Assam and others v.
Kanak
Chandra
Dutta(') has explained what a civil post is.
In that case the respondent who was a Mauzadar in the Assam Valley was dismissed from
se1vice in disregard of the provisions of Article 311 (2).
It was held
t~at "having regard to the existing system of his recruitment, employment and functions", he was "a servant and a holder of a civil post
under the State", and therefore entitled to 'the protection of Article
311 ( 2) .
This Court observed :
". . . . a civil post means a post not connected with
defence and outside the regular civil servioes.
A post is a
service or employment.
...... There is a relationship of
master and servant between the State and a person holding a
post under it.
The existence of this relationship is indicated
by the State's right to select and appoint the holder of the
post, its right to suspend and dismiss him, its right to control
the manner and method of his doing the work and the payment by it of his wages or remuneratiqu."
(tl [I967J l s.c.~. 679 (682).
•
SUPDT. POST OFFICES v. P. K. RAJAMMA (Gupta, J.)
681
A post, it was explained, exists apart from the holder of the post.
"A post may be created before the appointment or simultaneously
with it.
A post is an employment, but every employment is not a
post.
A casual labourer is not the holder of a post.
A post under
the State means a post under the administrati¥e control of the State.
The State may create or abolish the post and may regulate the conditions of service of persons appointed to the post." Turning now to
the. rules by which the respondents were admittedly governed, it appears
that they contain elaborate provisions controlling the appointment,
leave, termination of services, nature of penalties, procedure for imposing penalties and other matters relating to the conduct and service
of these extra departmental agents.
There is a schedule annexed to
the rules naming the appointing authorities in respect of each category
of employees.
Rule 5 states that the employees governed by these
rules shall be entitled to such leave as may be detemiined by the Government from time to time and provides that if an employee fails to
resume duty on the expiry of the maximum period of leave admissible
and granted to him or if an employee who is granted leave is absent
from duty for any period exceeding the limit upto which he could have
boon granted leave he shall be removed from the service unless the
Government decides otherwise in the exceptional circumstances of any
particular case.
The services of employees who had not put in more
than ,three years' continuous service are liable to be terminated at any
time under rule 6 for unsatisfactory work or for any administrative
reason. ' The rules also indicate the nature of penalties which may be
imposed on an employee and the procedure for imposing them.
A
right of appeal is provided against an order imposing anY. of
the
penalties on the employee.
Various other conditions of service are
also provided in these rules,
It is thus clear that an extra departmental agent is not a ,casual
worker but he holds a post under the administrative control of the
State.
It is apparent from the rules that the employment of an extra
departmental agent is in a post which exists "apart from" the person
who happens to fill it at any particular time. Though such a post 1s
outside the regular civil services, there is no doubt it is a post under
the State.
The tests of a civil post laid down by this Court in Kanak
Chandra Dutta's case (supra) are clearly satisfied in the case of the
extra departmental agents.
For the appellants it is contended that the relationship between
the postal authorities and the extra departmental agents is not of master
and servant, but really of principal and agent.
The difference between
the relations of master and servant and principal and agent was pointed out by this Court in Lakshminaraya11 Ram Gopal and Son Ltd. v.
The Government of Hyderabad.(')
On page 401 of the report the
followmg lines from Halsbury's Laws of England (Hailsham edition)
Volume 1, at page 193, article 345, were quoted with approval in
explaining the difference :
(I) [l955J l S,CR. 393.
A
•
B
c
D
E
F
G
H
A
•
B
c
682
SUPREME COURT REPORTS
[1977] 3 s.c.R.
"An agent is to be distinguished on the one hand from a
servant, and on the other from an independent contractor .
A servant acts under the direct control and supervision of his
master, and is bound to conform to all reasonable orders
given him in the course of 11is work, an independent contractor, on the other hand, is entirely independent of any control
or interference and merely undertakes to produce a specified
result, employing his own means to produce that result. An
agent, thougb bound to exercise his authority in accordance
with all lawful instructions which may be given to him from
time to time by his principal, is not subject in its exercise to
the drrect control or supervision of the principal. An agent,
as such is not a servant, but a servant is generally for some
purposes his master's implied agent, the extent of the agency
depending upon the duties or position of the s-ervant."
The rules make it clear that these extra departmental agents work
under the direct control and supervision of the authorities who obviously
have the right to control the manner in which they must carry out tlmr
duties.
There can be no doubt therefore that the relationship between the postal authorities and the extra departmental agents is one
D
of master and servant. Reliance was placed on behalf of the appellants on two decisions, one of the Orissa High Conrt Venkata Swamy
v. Superintendent, Post Offices(') and the other of the Madras High
Court V. Subbaravalu v. Superintendent of Post Offices. (2)
The
judgment in these cases were rendered before the elaborate
rules
governing the conduct and service of these extra departmental agents
were brought into operation in 1964. We do not therefore think an
E
examination of these two decisions will be relevant or useful for disF
posing of the appeals before us.
.i...
The appeals arc accordingly dismissed with costs : one set of hearing fee in respect of all the appeals except' C.A. 1172 of 1972 C.A.
1751 of 1972 and C.A. 2275 of 1972 in which separate orders as to
costs was made earlier.
S.R.
(!)
AIR 1957 Orissa 112 ..
(2) AIR 1961 Madras 166Appeals dismissed