Sanctioning leave is choice of administrative authorities: Madras High Court

MADURAI: The Madras High Court has ruled that sanctioning or rejecting leave was the choice of the administrative authorities, and courts could not interfere in such matters.

Dismissing a petition filed by an employee of Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation, who claimed that he had not been given extension of leave though he had leave in his credit, Justice S Vaidyanathan said the court could not sit over the decision of the administrative authority in such matters.

"It was for the management to decide on such issues based on administrative contingencies", the judge said yesterday.

It was for the petitioner to convince the authority concerned while applying leave on health ground or at the time of joining duty, the judge said.

The petitioner, a Checking Inspector, was not entitled to file a writ petition challenging rejection of medical leave. He could convince the authorities once again or raise an industrial dispute through the employee's union, the judge said.

The petitioner said that he initially applied for 15 days of medical leave on August four last year along with a medical certificate issued by the Chief Civil Surgeon of the Srivilliputtur Municipality.

Subsequently he sought extension of leave. However, the Branch Manager directed him to meet the General Manager for not reporting to duty from August four to September nine, following which he moved a petition in the High Court.