G. RAJAKUMARI Vs. STATE OF A.P.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This writ petition is filed by the petitioners, who are working as Agricultural Extension Officers for the following relief:

(2.) The petitioners before this Court are working as Agricultural Extension Officers. Initially, they were denied promotion on the ground that they were diploma holders. A memo was issued on 12.05.2017 fixing their seniority. The same was challenged by filing OA.No.2886 of 2018 before the A.P. Administrative Tribunal, which dismissed their case. Thereafter, they filed a batch of writ petitions before the Division Bench which by its order dated 25.10.2019 held in their favour and directed the respondents to consider the seniority of the petitioners from the initial date of appointment. The order of the Tribunal was thus set aside.

(3.) In this period, the petitioners completed their B.Sc.(AG) degree course. However, their names were not considered in the seniority list that was prepared because the certificates were submitted after 1st September of that year. The respondents relied upon Rule 5(c) of the State Subordinate Service Rules which prescribed that the 1st September shall be the qualifying date every year. On this essential ground, their cases were rejected. Questioning the same, the present writ petition is filed. This is the factual matrix.