CHANDIGARH, Feb 21 —Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to regularize casual workers in its Punjab region who have been in service since the mid-1980s. The bench ruled that the Corporation’s refusal to grant permanent status to long-term employees was a violation of constitutional principles.
Justice Sandeep Moudgil affirmed that the workers had been directly engaged by the FCI in 1986-87 and have performed essential, ongoing tasks for more than 30 years. The court stated that the 2017 order which had previously dismissed their claims was invalid and must be quashed immediately.
“The non-regularisation of long-serving casual workers against perennial posts is an unfair labour practice,” the court asserted. The ruling emphasizes that the Corporation cannot maintain temporary employment structures for roles that are permanent in nature.
The directive requires the FCI to finalize the regularization of the petitioners and other identically placed workers within four months. These employees are to be placed in Category-IV, Watchman, or similar roles, with their seniority and benefits calculated from the point they first became eligible for such positions.
The FCI is now obligated to settle all financial dues, including salary arrears and pay fixation. The court maintained that interest at 6 percent per annum must be included in these payments to compensate for the delay in recognizing the workers’ legal status.
Officials declared that the entire regularization process must be completed promptly upon receipt of the certified court order to ensure the long-standing grievances of the Punjab region staff are addressed.
