In the instant case, the writ petitioner was nominated for the gallantry service medal in the year 2000. the awarding of such medal occurred in the year 2009 and earlier it was sent through courier. Later, on the writ petition for mandamus to direct the authorities to confer the medal according to the rules mentioned about the procedure for conferment of such prestigious awards was filed by the petitioner herein subsequent to which he was awarded the award at the Himachal Day function, held at Rohru by then chief minister of that state.
Subsequently, a writ petition which is the instant case was being filed on a contention that the petitioner who is conferred a prestigious award was not granted the non-monetary benefits which are admissible to recipients of such awards and contended that such act amounted to discrimination.
Moreover, it is also the argument of the petitioner that action of one of the respondents in the writ petition by sending the award which is prestigious through courier which is later on presented to the awardee by the Hon’ble Chief Minister of the sate on the celebrations of Himachal Day more than three years goes against the norms prescribed for the conferment of the said Award.
The Hon’ble bench comprising hon’ble justice Sureshwar Thakur held that “apart from conferring the gallantry award the benefits are also to be purveyed to such awardees and as such concerned authorities are directed to forthwith purvey benefits thereof, through theirs making communications to the writ petitioner ”
It is moreover held that “it is to be ensured that the medals are promptly manufactured and it should be ensured that awarding of medals is to be promptly done only in Republic Day or Independence day functions by the chief minister of the state”
It is finally stated that “the above-mentioned acts will ensure that the act(s) of bravery remains enlivened, especially when it is the salutary purpose behind the honouring of celebrities through medals or gallantry awards.”
