M SEKAR Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) HEARD the arguments of learned counsels for private parties and the learned Assistant Central Government Standing Counsel representing the Union of India and perused the records.

(2.) IN all these twenty writ petitions, the question raised is with regard to the procedure for recruitment with reference to the Extra Departmental staff in the Postal Department of the Union of INdia. The Recruitment Rules (RR) are a compilation of various executive orders and circulars issued by the Postal Department from time to time and they are not statutory in character. Subsequently, the said service was rechristened as Gramin Dak Sevak. Rules have also been framed for the various posts which are known as Gramin Dak Sevaks (Conduct and Employment) Rules, 2001 [for short, 'GDS Rules']. The principle questions raised in these writ petitions are as follows:-

(3.) A Division Bench of this Court vide its judgment in Union of India, rep. by the Post Master General, Southern Region, Madurai and others v. Registrar, Central Administrative Tribunal, Madras Bench and others [2004 (2) M.L.J. 260 = 2004 (3) A.T.J. 86] upheld the property / income criteria prescribed under the relevant Rules. This decision also came to be followed by a subsequent Division Bench of this Court vide its decision dated 19.9.2006 in K. Sulochana v. K.G. Jayasankar and others (W.P. No. 33898 of 2002).