NAVAL KISHOR NAGAR Vs. UOI

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This Letters Patent Appeal is directed against the order dated 11.10.2006 passed by the learned Single Judge dismissing the writ petition filed by the appellants inter alia on the ground that the appellants were ad-hoc employees and in view of judgment in "State of Karnataka Vs. Uma Devi and Anr." reported in 2006 (4) Scale 197 could not be regularized as they were not appointed by the usual mode of recruitment. In view of this, the standing orders on which the appellants had relied upon were held to be of no help to the appellants.

(2.) The contentions on behalf of the appellants are that they are ex- servicemen and that they had joined the respondent ONGC as Telecommunication Operators ostensibly through a contractor but thereafter they were given ad-hoc appointments for successive period of two months each of which were extended from time to time. Further, the said posts were reserved for ex-servicemen and they were thus eligible to be appointed. The work was of permanent and of a perennial nature and their appointments were not illegal or dehors the rules.

(3.) While issuing notice in the appeal we had referred to the judgments titled Inderpreet Singh Kahlon and Ors. v. State of Punjab and Ors. JT 2006 SC 352 (which follows Uma Devi's case [supra]) cited on behalf of the appellants and the judgment titled M.P. State Agro Industries Development Corpn. v. S.C. Pandey (2006) 2 SCC 716 cited on behalf of the respondent. The relevant passage relied upon by counsel read as follows:- M.P. State Agro Industries Development Corpn. v. S.C. Pandey (2006) 2 SCC 716