Haryana State Cooperative Land ... vs Haryana State Cooperative Land ...

The Supreme Court addressed the entitlement of employees of Primary Agricultural Cooperative Banks to bonuses at the same rate as employees of the Apex Bank under the Haryana Cooperative Society Act, 1984. The Court held that the High Court erred in applying Rule 21 with overriding effect over the third proviso to Section 34 of the Act, which stipulates a minimum bonus of 8.33% only if the employer has no allocable surplus. The Court concluded that employees of Primary Banks are distinct from those of the Apex Bank, and thus, the direction to pay bonuses at par with the Apex Bank employees was not justified.