KHWAIRAKPAM SUCHITRA CHANU Vs. MANIPUR POLLUTION CONTROL BOARD

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Heard Shri Ng. Kumar, the learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and Smt. Th. Sobhana, the learned Government Advocate appearing for the respondent Nos. 4 and 5. None is present for the other respondents.

(2.) By the instant writ petition, the petitioner has prayed for issuing a writ of Mandamus directing the respondents to regularize the contract service of the petitioner as Senior Scientific Assistant in the Manipur Pollution Control Board (hereinafter referred to as "the Board") in the same manner as has been done in respect of the cases of 35 (thirty five) contract employees.

(3.) [3.1] According to the petitioner, she being an M.Sc. (Zoology), was appointed as Senior Scientific Assistant on contract basis on payment of a consolidated pay of Rs. 3,000/- per month, along with one Ch. Landhoni Devi who was appointed as Laboratory Assistant, vide order dated 09-03-1999 issued by the Member Secretary of the Board. While the petitioner was working as Senior Scientific Assistant on contract basis, she was, on the recommendation of a Screening Committee, given regular appointment to the said post vide order dated 01-04-2003 issued by the Chairman of the Board. However, the petitioner was not paid her monthly salary in the pay scale attached to the said post of Senior Scientific Assistant and on the termination of the service of one Lanshairung Golmei, a regular SSA, the petitioner expected that she would be paid her monthly salary in the pay scale of the Senior Scientific Assistant but when the same was not done by the authority concerned, she submitted her representation dated 20-10-2006 to the Chairman of the Board. Without considering her representation, the petitioner was asked by the Chairman of the Board to sign and submit a prescribed format titled "Standard Agreement Format for Engagement on Contract Basis" vide Office Memorandum dated 13- 11-2006 of the Member Secretary, to which the petitioner submitted another representation dated 16-11-2006 to him stating therein that since she had been appointed on regular basis, she was not required to sign such a prescribed format.