In Brief
The Supreme Court upheld the right of 318 retired mill workers to receive the same plot allotments as 134 similarly situated co-workers. Both groups were former employees of Azam Jahi Mills who had taken voluntary retirement in 2002. The 134 workers remained in occupied quarters illegally and were allotted 200 sq. yard plots free of cost as a welfare measure. The 318 workers, though equally eligible, were denied plots merely because they had lawfully vacated quarters when ordered. The Court held that treating equals unequally violates Article 14 of the Constitution. It reversed the High Court's decision and directed allotment of equal plots to all 318 workers within six months, rejecting the respondents' attempt to justify discrimination through late-filed affidavits.
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