Karnataka High Court orders regularisation of service of retired woman typist who worked 34 years on daily wages

The High Court of Karnataka has come to the rescue of a 64-year-old woman who served the State for 34 years as a daily-wage typist but retired in 2022 without being regularised despite being eligible and recommended by her employer for regularisation of service.

The court directed the State government to regularise her service in the cadre in which she was working at the time of attaining the age of superannuation in 2022, with effect from the date on which she completed 10 years of service on daily wages, that is from February 11, 1998, along with all consequential monetary benefits.

A Division Bench of Justice M. Nagaprasanna and Justice Hema Kulkarni passed the order while allowing an appeal filed by Geeta Ramappa Terdal. She had challenged 2025 order of the single judge, who had dismissed her petition filed in 2022, solely on the ground that she had attained superannuation.

Unlawful denial

“Retirement may bring the relationship of employment to an end; it does not necessarily bring to an end the legal consequences of an unlawful denial of benefits during that employment,” the Bench observed.

A claim for regularisation does not “evaporate into thin air” upon crossing the threshold of superannuation, the Bench said while citing judgments of the apex court.

The Bench also pointed out that the apex court had gone a step further in holding that where death of an employee occurs during the pendency of the claim of regularisation, the legal heir would be entitled to arrears of terminal benefits, in accordance with law.

Employed in 1988

Ms. Terdal, who belongs to the SC community, was appointed a typist in the Dandeli municipality in 1988 through the employment exchange, against a duly sanctioned vacancy reserved for SC category. She served continuously for 34 years.

Despite the municipality recommending her regularisation in 2006 and again in 2009, her claim remained unaddressed. However, 12 daily wage employees, many of whom had joined the service after her, were regularised in 2016 by the State government but her claim for regularisation did not get any response, not even rejection.