Service law is a major part of my practice. A government job is governed by statutory rules, government orders and decades of case law, and most disputes are won or lost on whether those rules were followed. I read the rules that actually apply to your post, find where the department went wrong, and take the matter to the right forum within time.
Matters I handle
- Suspension, revocation of suspension and subsistence allowance
- Show cause notices, chargesheets and departmental inquiries
- Punishment orders: censure, withholding of increments, reduction, removal and dismissal, and departmental appeals against them
- Promotion, seniority lists and adverse entries in service records
- Pay fixation, increments, arrears and recovery from salary
- Pension, family pension, gratuity and leave encashment
- Transfer and posting orders
- Recruitment and select-list disputes before bodies such as UPSESSB, UPPSC and UPSSSC
- Regularisation of contractual, ad hoc and daily wage employees
- Compassionate appointment
Which forum hears your case
| Employee or candidate | Forum | Law |
|---|---|---|
| U.P. Government servants | U.P. State Public Services Tribunal, Lucknow | U.P. Public Services (Tribunal) Act, 1976 |
| Central Government employees | Central Administrative Tribunal, Lucknow Bench | Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985 |
| Teachers and staff of aided institutions, university employees, recruitment candidates | High Court, Lucknow Bench | Article 226 of the Constitution |
The High Court, Lucknow Bench hears matters arising in the districts within its territorial jurisdiction. Orders of both tribunals can be challenged before the High Court.
Deadlines that decide cases
For U.P. Government servants, an appeal against a punishment order under Rule 11 of the U.P. Government Servant (Discipline and Appeal) Rules, 1999 must be filed within 90 days of the order being communicated. A claim petition before the Tribunal must be filed within one year under Section 5(1)(b)(i) of the 1976 Act. Time spent on an appeal or representation is excluded only if it was filed in accordance with the service rules. A late appeal does not extend the limit, and the Tribunal cannot condone delay in a claim petition. Many good cases are lost here, before anyone looks at the merits.
What to bring to the first consultation
- The order or notice you want to challenge, with the date you received it
- Your appointment letter and the latest promotion or confirmation order
- The chargesheet, your replies and the inquiry report, if any
- Any representation or appeal you have already filed, with proof of submission
- Relevant pages of your service book and any government order the department relies on
For a closer look at departmental proceedings, read what the rules require when a U.P. Government employee receives a chargesheet.