The Karnataka High Court has directed the Karnataka government to retrospectively regularise the service of Geeta Terdal, who worked as a daily-wage employee for 34 years before retiring in June 2022. In its judgment dated October 16, 2026, the Division Bench held that an employee's retirement during the pendency of a regularisation claim does not extinguish the right to seek appropriate service benefits.
Background of the Case
Geeta Terdal entered government service in 1988 through a selection process initiated via the Employment Exchange. She worked as a typist against a sanctioned vacancy and continued serving the establishment for approximately 34 years without receiving regular employee status.
Her claim for regularisation had received recommendations from the relevant authorities. However, while 12 other daily-wage employees who had joined after her were regularised, her claim remained unresolved. She retired in June 2022 without the benefits associated with regular employment.
After a Single Judge dismissed her petition on the ground that she had already attained the age of superannuation, Terdal challenged the decision before a Division Bench of the Karnataka High Court.
High Court's Findings
A Division Bench comprising Justice M. Nagaprasanna and Justice Hema Kulkarni set aside the Single Judge's order. The Court rejected the proposition that retirement alone prevents an employee from pursuing a regularisation claim that arose during the period of service.
The Bench considered the circumstances of Terdal's appointment, including the selection process through the Employment Exchange, the existence of a sanctioned vacancy, her long and continuous service, the recommendations supporting her claim, and the regularisation of similarly situated employees.
Referring to the principles governing regularisation of public employment, including the Supreme Court's decision in Secretary, State of Karnataka v. Umadevi (3), the Court emphasised that the law against irregular appointments cannot be used mechanically to deny relief to eligible employees.
Directions Issued by the Court
The High Court directed the State to regularise Terdal's service in the cadre in which she was working when she attained the age of superannuation, with effect from the date she completed ten years of service. The judgment identifies February 11, 1998, as the relevant date.
The Court further directed that her service be given notional continuity for pay fixation and admissible service benefits, and that her entire service period be taken into account for calculating pension, gratuity and other retirement benefits.
The respondents were directed to implement the order within eight weeks. The judgment also provides for additional arrears, quantified at 50% of the salary entitlement flowing from regularisation, in the event of non-compliance.
Legal Significance
The ruling reinforces the principle that public authorities must act fairly towards employees who have rendered long and continuous service under qualifying circumstances. It also highlights that retirement cannot, by itself, defeat a pending claim for regularisation and consequential retirement benefits.
The decision is significant for employment and service jurisprudence, particularly in disputes involving daily-wage workers, equality in public employment and the treatment of similarly situated employees.
Case: Smt. Geeta Ramappa Terdal v. Commissioner
Court: Karnataka High Court, Dharwad Bench
Decision date: October 16, 2026
Bench: Justice M. Nagaprasanna and Justice Hema Kulkarni