Full Judgment
2026:MHC:1640
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS
DATED: 20-04-2026
CORAM
THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE S. M. SUBRAMANIAM AND THE HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE K. SURENDER
1. State Bank Of India Rep By Its Chairman, Corporate Centre, State Bank Bhavan, Mumbai 400 021
2. State Bank Of India Rep By Chief General Manager, Local Head Office, Circle Top House, No.16, College Road, Chennai 600 006 ..Appellant(s) Vs
1. State Bank Of India Scheduled Caste/tribes Employees Welfare Association, Reg.No. 74/80, (Chennai Cirlce) Rep By Its General Secretary No.84, Rajaji Salai, Chennai 600 001
2. Union Of India
Represented By Its Secretary Department Of Social Justice And Empowerment, 604, A- wing, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi [R2 Is Impleaded, Vide Order Of Court Dated 01.08.2024 Made In CMP.No.14530 Of 2024 In WA.No.130 Of 2022]
3. Department Of Financial Services, Rep by its Secretary, Ministry of Finance, 3rd Floor Jeevan Deep Building, Sansad Marg, New Delhi, Delhi 110 001.
4. Department Of Personnel And Training Rep by its Secretary, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Page1 of 9
Pensions, J674+ VJW, North Block, Central Secretariat, New Delhi, Delhi 110001. [R3 and R4 impleaded as party respondents vide court order dated 03.12.2025 made in CMP.No.30472/2025 in WA.No.130/2022] ..Respondent(s) Writ Appeal filed under Clause 15 of the Letters Patent to set aside the order dated 29.09.2021 in made in WP.No. 31476 of 2007 and pass such other orders as this Court may deem fit and proper in the circumstances of the case. For Appellant(s): Mr.S.Ravindran Senior Counsel for M/s.Rajnish Pathiyil For Respondent(s): Mr.Balan Haridas for R1 , Mr.R.Sanjay CGSC for Mr.Rajesh Vivekanandan Deputy Solicitor General of of India for R2 , Mr.A.R.Sakthivel Senior Panel Counsel for R3 and R4
JUDGMENT
(Judgment of the Court was delivered by S.M.Subramaniam J.) Under assail is the order dated 29.09.2021, passed in W.P.No.31476 of 2007.
2. 1st respondent/ Employee Welfare Association preferred writ
proceedings challenging the order of the appellant dated 01.09.2007, and direct the appellant to nominate the officers to the level of General Manager as Liaison Officer for SC/ST in the Local head office of the State Bank of India Page2 of 9 at Chennai.
3. The order impugned in the writ proceeding dated 01.09.2007 is an
order passed implementing the directions issued by the High Court in
W.P.No.21386 of 2007, dated 25.06.2007. The said order would convey that, in terms of the instructions of the Government of India, all the Public Sector banks may nominate officers of the level of General Manager or above as Chief Liaison Officer for SCs/STs and OBCs at Head Office. In compliance with the directives of the Government of India, State Bank of India has nominated the Chief Liaison Officer for SCs/STs and OBCs for the Bank of the level of General Manager with effect from 17.07.2006 at the Corporate Centre, Mumbai, which is the Head Office of State Bank of India.
4. Learned Single Judge considered the relief sought for in the writ
petition filed by the 1st respondent and directed the appellant bank to nominate officers of the level of General Manager or above the rank of Deputy General Manager as Chief Liaison Officer for SC/ST in Local Head Office of respondent bank at Chennai.
5. Mr.Balan Haridas, learned counsel for the 1st respondent would
mainly contend that, if the Assistant General Manager at the zonal/regional level is appointed as Liaisoning Officer, if any complaint is to be made against Page3 of 9
the higher officials in the rank of Deputy General Manager, the employees association may not be in a position to redress their grievances. Therefore, even at the regional level, General Manager is to be appointed as Liaisoning Officer. He would rely on the brochure on reservation of the SCs/STs and OBCs in posts/services in Public Sector Banks and financial institutions and would rely that appointment of liaisoning officer to be made in such a way, so as to ensure that grievances of the employees are ventilated freely and in a fair manner.
6. Mr.S.Ravindran, learned Senior Counsel appearing on behalf of State
Bank of India/appellant would contend that the directives of the Government of India has been scrupulously followed by the State Bank of India. As per the Government of India, Ministry of Finance, Office Memorandam dated 07.03.2006, Chief Liaisoning Officer for SCs/STs and OBCs are to be appointed at the level of General Manager in the head office. In the present case, said order of the Government of India has been complied with. As far as to redress the grievances at the state level, the regional level officers are appointed in the cadre of Assistant General Manager. The very purpose and objective of said guidelines by the Government of India is to ensure that the grievances of SCs/STs and OBCs are addressed and redressed in accordance with law.
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7. This Court has considered the rival submissions of the parties to the lis on hand.
8. The Brochure on reservation for SC and ST regarding appointment of
Liaison officer stipulates that, “Appointment of Liaison Officer 11.1 (i) Banks shall appoint Liaison Officers in their Head Office as well as in their Regional/Zonal Offices for dealing with matters relating to representation of SC/ST in different cadres.
(ii) While selecting an officer for appointment as a
Liaison Officer it has to be ensured that he is of sufficient seniority. The Liaison Officer appointed at Head Office level should be an officer of the rank of Deputy General Manager or above so that he can advise the top management of the steps required to safeguard the interest of the SC/ST employees. It may also be ensured that the chosen officer should not have direct dealing with the HRD/Personnel matters. ... 11.3 Liaison Officers in the Zonal/Regional Offices shall send the various Annual Reports in respect of the office to the Liaison Officer at the Head Office who shall consolidate such information in the Annual or other such return to be furnished/to be put upto the Chief Executive/Government of India.” Page5 of 9
9. In tune with the brochure, appellant/State Bank of India has
appointed Chief Liaison Officer at the level of General Manager in the Head office and Liaison officers at the Regional level are appointed from the cadre of Assistant General Manager. Even as per the brochure, Liaison Officer at the head office shall be in the cadre of Deputy General Manager, but the Bank has now appointed Chief Liaison Officer in the cadre of General Manager and regional Liaison Officer in the cadre of Assistant General Manager. As per Clause 11.03 of brochure, Zonal/Regional Offices shall send various Annual Reports in respect of the office to the Liaison Officer at the Head Office, who shall consolidate such information in the Annual or other such return to be furnished. Therefore, adequate mechanism is provided to ensure that the grievances of the SC/ST employees are addressed by the competent authority. The Chief Liaisoning Officer appointed is in the rank of General Manager, who in turn empowered to call for the records or address the complaints, if any, sent by the employees association either through the Liaisoning officer or directly to the Chief Liaisoning Officer.
10. Even regarding the apprehension raised by the 1 st respondent, if any
such situation arise for the employees, when they are not in a position to raise any complaint against the officers at the level of Deputy General Managers, they are entitled to send such complaints directly to the Chief Liaisoning Officer, who in turn shall address the same by conducting inquiry and following the procedure as contemplated. The brochure ensures adequate Page6 of 9
mechanism in place to redress the grievances of the SC and ST and OBC employees. When such a mechanism has been made in an effective manner with the direction of the Government of India, it would be unnecessary for the High Court to interfere with the routine administration of the Nationalised Banks. The appointment of Chief Liaisoning Officer and Regional Liaisoning Officer is an administrative affair, and the High Court, in exercise of the powers of judicial review has to test the correctness and legality of the mechanism in place, in order to ensure effective redressal of grievances to the aggrieved person. In the present case, the system in place would provide adequate opportunity to the employees to ventilate their grievances. Thus, the
order of the writ Court directing the State Bank of India to appoint General
Manager as liaison officer even at regional level is unnecessary and consequently, writ order dated 29.09.2021 made in WP.No. 31476 of 2007 is set aside.
11. Accordingly, the writ appeal is allowed. No costs. Consequently, the connected miscellaneous petitions, if any, are closed. (S.M.S.,J.) (K.S.,J.) 20-04-2026 Index: Yes/No
Speaking/Non-speaking order
Neutral Citation: Yes/No GD To
1. State Bank Of India Page7 of 9 Scheduled Caste/tribes Employees Welfare Association, Reg.No. 74/80, (chennai Cirlce) Rep By Its General Secretary No.84, Rajaji Salai, Chennai 600 001
2. Union Of India Represented By Its Secretary Department Of Social Justice And Empowerment, 604, A- wing, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi
3. Department Of Financial Services, Rep by its Secretary, Ministry of Finance, 3rd Floor Jeevan Deep Building, Sansad Marg, New Delhi, Delhi 110 001.
4. Department Of Personnel And Training Rep by its Additional Secretary, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, J674 VJW, North Block, Central Secretariat, New Delhi, Delhi 110001. Page8 of 9
S.M.SUBRAMANIAM, J.
AND
K.SURENDER, J.
GD 20-04-2026 Page9 of 9