(1.) Heard learned counsel for the parties.
(2.) Petitioners are serving as Chief Assistant in State Animal Husbandry Department. They are aggrieved by the order dtd. 22/6/2017, whereby the seniority list issued earlier was amended and settled inter se seniority of the petitioners qua respondent nos. 4 to 9 was reversed. Petitioners have challenged the order dtd. 22/6/2017 and the amended seniority list issued on 15/7/2017.
(3.) Petitioners and private respondents were appointed as Junior Clerk pursuant to the same selection held in the year 1987 and they were appointed by the Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry, Nainital vide order dtd. 15/4/1987. Pursuant to the appointment order, they joined duties on different dates. On 9/10/1990, a seniority list of ministerial employees was issued, in which petitioners were shown as senior to some of the private respondents. In the absence of any challenge, the said seniority list became final and petitioners were promoted to post of Senior Assistant. Thereafter, another seniority list was prepared in the year 1999 and was circulated by the Deputy Director, Animal Husbandry Department vide letter dtd. 31/5/1999. In the said seniority list also, petitioners were placed above some of the private respondents which, according to the petitioners, attained finality in the absence of any challenge.