VIRENDRA RAJKUMAR Vs. STATE OF MANIPUR

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present case is yet another instance of the unending litigations between direct recruits and promotes in the matter of fixation of their inter-se-seniority.

(2.) The relevant facts of the present case in a nutshell is that on the recommendation of a class-I DPC meeting held on 28/12/1996, the present appellants, who were holding the post of Sec. Officers Grade-I in the Joint Cadre of Agriculture, Horticulture and Soil Conservation and CADA, were promoted to the higher post of Assistant Engineer/Assistant Surveyor of works (herein after referred to as AE/equivalent for short) on regular basis w.e.f. 28/12/1996 by an order dt.14/1/1997 issued by the Government.

(3.) As the Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) remain nonfunctional for a number of years, vacancies in the Class-I and Class-II posts in the direct recruitment quota cannot be filled up on regular basis. In view of the above, the State Government took a policy decision and issued an office memorandum dtd. 8/2/1996 wherein, it is provided for direct recruitment of Class-I and Class-II employees on adhoc basis after inviting applications from eligible candidates by issuing necessary public advertisement and on the basis of the recommendation of the screening committee constituted under the said office memorandum dtd. 8/2/1996.