Shimla, November 29, 2024 — In a significant ruling benefiting several similarly placed employees, the Himachal Pradesh High Court directed the state government to allow Subhadra Devi, a Class IV employee and widow from Kotkhai, to continue her service until the age of 60.

The case, CWP No. 12706/2024, was decided today by Justice Jyotsna Rewal Dua.

Subhadra Devi, who was set to retire as a beldar in the Irrigation and Public Health (IPH) Department’s Kotkhai Division on November 30, 2024, had approached the court through her advocate, Kameshwar Singh Dhaulta.

She sought relief in light of the precedent set in the Satya Devi vs. State of Himachal Pradesh & Others case, where the court upheld the right of employees to serve until 60 years of age.

The state government, represented by Deputy Advocate General Menka Raj Chauhan, argued that the High Court’s earlier decision in the Satya Devi case had been challenged via a Special Leave Petition (SLP) in the Supreme Court, and thus requested dismissal of the writ.

Justice Rewal Dua, however, noted that the respondents had not disputed that Subhadra Devi’s case fell within the ambit of the Satya Devi judgment.

Consequently, the court ruled in her favor, directing the state to let her continue in service until November 30, 2026.

“This ruling is subject to the outcome of the SLP pending before the Supreme Court,” the judge clarified in her order.

The judgment comes as a ray of hope for similarly placed Class IV employees, especially widows and marginalized individuals, who may benefit from this legal precedent while awaiting clarity from the apex court.

Advocate Kameshwar S. Dhaulta, speaking on the outcome, remarked, “This is a landmark moment for employees denied their rightful tenure. Justice Rewal Dua’s decision ensures that individuals like Subhadra Devi are not left in the lurch.”