Employees on contract basis are also entitled to maternity leave.

Rakhi vs. State of Kerala, 2018  601 (Ker. HC)

Kerala High Court

Rakhi P.V. vs The State Of Kerala on 22 August, 2017

      

IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM

                   PRESENT:

THE HONOURABLE MRS. JUSTICE ANU SIVARAMAN

TUESDAY, THE 27TH DAY OF FEBRUARY 2018 / 8TH PHALGUNA, 1939

WP(C).No. 30561 of 2017

PETITIONERS:

1          RAKHI P.V., AGED 36 YEARS,

           D/O.VIJAYAN, PALLATHUPADY HOUSE,

           P.O. NAYARAMBALAM, ERNAKULAM DISTRICT,

           KERALA- 682509.

2          NISHA K.S., AGED 31 YEARS,

            W/O.SUSANNAN, MEENAMBIKA HOUSE,

           KARUTHEDATH KALAM, THEKKE DESAM,

           P.O. NALLEPPILLY, PALAKKAD DISTRICT- 678 553.

3          REEJAMOL SCARIA, AGED 31 YEARS,

           W/O.SINTO SABU, CHARUVULAYIL HOUSE,

           P.O. THARIODE NORTH, PADINJARATHARA,

           WAYANAD- 673 575.

4          JAYAPRABHA J., AGED 34 YEARS,

           W/O.SANTHOSH.K.S,

           C/O. NAGRAJ K., TELECOM SECTION,

           KDHP CO. (P) LTD, MUNNAR WORKSHOP,

           P.O. MUNNAR, IDUKKI - 685 612

5          BITHAMOL K.T., AGED 32 YEARS,

           W/O. MANJITH C., GREESHMAM (H),

           CALICUT, VELLIPARAMBA P.O.,

           KOZHIKODE- 673008.

 

     BY ADVS.SRI.M.R.VENUGOPAL

             SMT.DHANYA P.ASHOKAN

 

 

RESPONDENTS:

 

1.         THE STATE OF KERALA,

           REPRESENTED BY THE SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT,

           EDUCATION DEPARTMENT,THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,

            PIN- 695 001.

2.         THE STATE PROJECT DIRECTOR,

           RASHTRIYA MADHYAMIK SHIKSHA ABHIYAN,

           SEVENTH FLOOR, TRANS TOWER BUILDING,

           VAZHUTHACAUD, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM- 695 014.

       BY SR. GOVERNMENT PLEADER SRI.B.UNNIKRISHNA KAIMAL

     THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING COME UP FOR ADMISSION ON 27-02-2018,

     ALONG WITH WPC.39828/2017 AND WPC.40564/2017, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY

     DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: EL WP(C).No. 30561 of 2017 (U)

                           APPENDIX

PETITIONER(S)' EXHIBITS

 

EXHIBIT P1       TRUE COPY OF THE DISCHARGE SUMMARY ISSUED IN

                 THE NAME OF 1ST PETITIONER

EXHIBIT P2       TRUE COPY OF THE DISCHARGE SUMMARY ISSUED IN

                 THE NAME OF 2ND PETITIONER

EXHIBIT P3       TRUE COPY OF THE DISCHARGE SUMMARY ISSUED IN

                 THE NAME OF 3RD PETITIONER

EXHIBIT P4       TRUE COPY OF THE DISCHARGE SUMMARY ISSUED IN

                 THE NAME OF 4TH PETITIONER

EXHIBIT P5       TRUE COPY OF THE DISCHARGE SUMMARY ISSUED IN

                 THE NAME OF 5TH PETITIONER

EXHIBIT P6       TRUE COPY OF THE REPRESENTATION DATED 22.8.2017

                 SUBMITTED BY THE 1ST PETITIONER

EXHIBIT P7       TRUE COPY OF THE COMMUNICATION DATED 12.4.2017

                 ISSUED BY THE MINISTRY OF LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT

EXHIBIT P8       TRUE COPY OF THE CLARIFICATION ISSUED BY

                 MINISTRY OF LABOUR & EMPLOYMENT

 

EXHIBIT P9       TRUE COPY OF THE CIRCULAR NO.760/P4/2017-18/

                 R.M.S.A DATED 16.8.2017 ISSUED BY 2ND RESPONDENT

EXHIBIT P10      TRUE COPY OF THE ORDER NO.110/2014/G.E.D DATED

                 7.9.2017

RESPONDENT(S)' EXHIBITS

EXHIBIT R2(A)    TRUE COPY OF THE LETTER NO.214/2017/G.EDN

                 DATED 22.12.2017

                                                               TRUE COPY

P.S. TO JUDGE

EL

 

13.3.2018

 

                         ANU SIVARAMAN, J.

                   = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

                      W.P.(C).Nos.30561,39828

                           and 40564 of 2017

                   = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

               Dated this the 27th day of February, 2018

 

                             JUDGMENT

1. These writ petitions are filed seeking directions to the respondents to grant six months Maternity leave to the petitioners as is being granted to the State Government employees.

2. Petitioner in W.P.(C).No.39828/17 is a Programme Manager in Additional Skill Acquisition Programme under the Higher Education Department of the Government of Kerala. She was initially appointed on contract basis for a period of one year from 21.9.2014. The period of contract has been extended twice and the petitioner is still continuing in service. The petitioners in W.P.(C).Nos. 30561/2017 and 40564/2017 are Resource teachers working in Government Schools in the State of Kerala on contract basis. It is stated that they are working under the Inclusive Education for Disabled Secondary Stage under the Rashtriya Madhyamic Siksha Abhiyan of the MHRD. It is W.P.(C).No.30561/17 & con.cases contended that the petitioners, who are women employees, had applied for maternity leave during the period of their employment. In W.P.(C).No.39828/2017, the petitioner was granted maternity leave of 135 days and was required to return duty on the expiry of the said period of 135 days. The petitioner contended that going by the provisions of the Kerala Service Rules (KSR) as well as the provisions of the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, every woman employee working in any establishment is entitled to maternity leave of 180 days. It is contended that the petitioner is entitled to the said period of leave. The petitioner had been permitted to continue on leave in terms of judgment in W.A.No.2594/2017 dated 18.12.2017. In the other two writ petitions, the petitioners had sought maternity leave for 180 days, but they have been told that they are entitled maternity leave only for 12 weeks and the extension of leave cannot be considered on the basis of the orders in force.

3. Heard learned counsel for the petitioners and the learned Government Pleader. W.P.(C).No.30561/17 & con.cases

4. It is submitted by the learned counsel for the petitioners that the provisions of the Kerala Service Rules as well as the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961 and the service rules applicable to Government servants of the Central Government, provide for grant of maternity leave extending to 26 weeks. It is contended that the grant of maternity leave being in the nature of welfare legislation, the contention of the respondents that the benefit of 26 weeks of maternity leave is not to be granted to employees of the Central Government funded projects under the Education Department of the Government of Kerala because the projects are not notified establishments going by the provisions of the Maternity Benefit Act cannot be countenanced.

5. Relying on a decision of this Court in Mini v. Life Insurance Corporation of India [2018 (1) KLT 530], the learned counsel for the petitioners contends that the grant of leave to fulfill essential maternal obligations involves an essential human rights issue and that the State is duty bound to address the W.P.(C).No.30561/17 & con. cases special needs of women employees working in the organised and unorganised sectors. The State has a responsibility to see that a restricted meaning is not given to welfare legislation so that rights of women employees to avail leave is restricted. It is stated that the right to maternity leave is an essential element of the fundamental right to life as far as a woman employee is concerned and the issue has to be seen in the context of Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution of India. It is stated that a woman employee cannot be discriminated on account of compelling family responsibilities and that the said aspects of the matter are also to be taken into account while considering the issue of grant of maternity leave.

6. A detailed counter affidavit has been placed on record by the learned Government Pleader in W.P.(C).No.39828/2017 contending that the petitioners' engagement is under the Additional Skill Acquisition Programme (ASAP), which is a joint initiative of General Education and Higher Education Departments and the administrative powers are vested on the W.P.(C).No.30561/17 & con.cases Empowered Committee chaired by the Chief Secretary. It is stated that the Government Order which provides for the service conditions of employees of ASAP permitted the grant of 135 days of maternity leave to contract employees. It is stated that the Government has implemented the Project Management Pool in the ASAP by Government Order dated 11.4.2017 and going by the said Government Order only 90 days is provided as maternity leave to female employees of the project. It is stated that the petitioner had been granted 135 days leave, since her application for leave was before Ext.R1(b) amendment was brought into effect. It is contended that the petitioner would not be entitled to 26 weeks of maternity leave as provided in the Maternity Benefit Act or the 180 days of leave as provided in the Kerala Service Rules, since the petitioner was a contract employee under a project and that she would not be entitled to the benefits of either of the provisions.

7. In W.P.(C).No.30651/2017 also, a counter affidavit has been filed on behalf of the 2nd respondent stating that the petitioners are contract employees under the the Centrally sponsored SchemeW.P.(C).No.30561/17 & con.cases of Inclusive Education for Disabled Secondary Stage implemented through the Rashtriya Madhyamic Siksha Abhiyan of the MHRD. The provisions of the Scheme provided only 90 days of maternity leave to Special Educators appointed on contract basis. It is stated that teachers under the Scheme as well as under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan are entitled only to 3 months of maternity leave, going by the Government Orders in force. The learned Government Pleader also relies on a decision of a Division Bench of this Court in Jisha P. Jayan v. Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit, Kalady and others [2013 (3) KLT 533] wherein it has been held that Sree Sankaracharya University, not being an establishment notified under the Maternity Benefits Act, an employee of the University could not claim maternity leave as provided in the Act.

8. I have considered the contentions advanced on either side. It is not in dispute that women employees directly employed by the Government would be entitled to 180 days of maternity leave, going by the provisions of the KSR. Employees in any establishment as provided in Maternity Benefit Act, 1961, ie., W.P.(C).No.30561/17 & con.cases employees of mines, factories or plantations and establishments where persons are employed for execution of acrobatic and other performances and employees of other establishments within the meaning of any law for the time being in force in relation to shops and establishments in the State would be entitled to maternity leave in terms of the statutes and the orders in force.

9. The petitioners are also admittedly women employees working on a contract basis under state funded projects. The benefits of enhanced maternity leave to woman employees is undoubtedly a piece of welfare legislation which is intended to give women equal opportunities in public employment. In the above view of the matter, the contention raised to the effect that the contract employees under the projects are entitled only to 90 days of maternity leave, according to me, cannot be countenanced, since it would amount to discrimination against woman employees only for the reason that they are engaged in projects in contractual capacities. The inalienable obligations of maternity should not and cannot be a reason to deny equal opportunities to woman employees. This precisely would be the result of limiting W.P.(C).No.30561/17 & con.cases maternity leave to women employees, irrespective of the nature of their employment. The further contention to the effect that the contractual appointment of the petitioners have a duration of only one year and the grant of six months paid leave would obliterate the benefit to the project of the engagement is also not tenable because the petitioners are persons who are continuing in service on the basis of successive extension of contract. The contention therefore can have no application in the instant cases.

10.In the above view of the matter, I am of the opinion that in the light of the principles laid down by this Court in Mini's case (supra) the contention raised that the petitioners herein are entitled only to 90 days of maternity leave cannot be countenanced. The petitioners herein will also be entitled to maternity leave as is due to women employees under the Service Rules applicable to State and Central Government servants and to women employees under the Maternity Benefit Act, 1961. In the above view of the matter, the impugned orders are set aside. There will be a direction to the respondents to grant 26 weeks of maternity leave to the petitioners. Orders shall be passed within W.P.(C).No.30561/17 & con.cases a period of two weeks from the date of receipt of a copy of this judgment.

These writ petitions are ordered accordingly.

Sd/-

Anu Sivaraman, Judge sj