BACHHITTAR SINGH vs THE STATE OF PUNJAB

The Supreme Court held that the dismissal order by the Revenue Minister of Pepsu was not binding as it was not communicated to the appellant, thus only provisional. The Court ruled that the Chief Minister of Punjab was competent to confirm the dismissal under the Rules of Business of the Punjab Government, specifically rules 25 and 28, which allow referral of cases of administrative importance to the Chief Minister. The Court emphasized that departmental proceedings are a continuous process and any action taken against a public servant is a judicial order under Article 311 of the Constitution of India.