World | India
Man manages to retain job despite absence of 15 years
Imagine remaining absent from duty for 15 years and still retaining the job. And to top it, securing a court order for payment of half the salary for the period.
- IANS
- Published: 00:06 May 27, 2008
New Delhi: Imagine remaining absent from duty for 15 years and still retaining the job. And to top it, securing a court order for payment of half the salary for the period.
This is the case of West Bengal resident S.N. Das, who was able to retain his job as assistant engineer with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) without attending office for 15 years.
Besides, the Calcutta High Court also ordered the AAI to pay him salary for half the time.
Though the state-run AAI agreed to re-instate Das, it approached the Supreme Court against having to pay him half the salary. The apex court struck down the high court ruling ordering the AAI to pay Das the salary. The apex court ruling was pronounced on May 16, but released late last week.
Das, an assistant engineer with the AAI at Kolkata airport, was transferred to Delhi in March 1985. He reported for duty at Delhi airport on March 19, 1985, but proceeded on 18-day leave from March 26 on account of his grandmother's illness. Das failed to join duty on expiry of his leave. Instead, he kept getting his leave extended on medical grounds till the AAI on August 12 that year asked him to appear before its Kolkata medical board to get himself examined.
The board found him medically fit and Das was asked to join duty immediately, failing which he was threatened with termination of his services.
Das simply ignored the AAI's directives to join back.
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