Himachal High Court Rules in Favor of Married Daughter for Compassionate Job

SHIMLA:  In  a ruling  the Himachal Pradesh High Court decided in favor of Rani Devi, who had sought a compassionate appointment after the death of her father.

The judgment, delivered by Justices Vivek Singh Thakur and Ranjan Sharma, marks an important shift in the state’s policy regarding the employment rights of married daughters.

Rani Devi's father, who worked as a Chowkidar in the Irrigation and Public Health Department, passed away in 2004. Following his death, Rani, his only daughter, applied for a job on compassionate grounds.

However, her application was rejected in 2008 due to a state policy that allowed only unmarried daughters to be eligible for such appointments.

Rani Devi filed a petition in 2018, which was later transferred to the High Court.

In her case, her lawyer pointed out that similar cases had been ruled in favor of married daughters by the High Court.

These cases included Mamta Devi vs. State of Himachal Pradesh and Sapna Kumari vs. State of Himachal Pradesh. The courts had held that denying compassionate appointments to married daughters while allowing them for married sons was discriminatory.

The court agreed with Rani Devi's counsel and noted that the state government had already updated its policy, following these judgments, to include married daughters under certain conditions.

Consequently, the court directed the state to reconsider Rani Devi's case and make a decision by September 15, 2024.