KARAMJIT SINGH Vs. STATE OF ASSAM

JUDGEMENT

(1.) All these three writ petitions being connected with similar grievance and reliefs, those are taken together for hearing and are disposed of by this common judgment and order. The grievance, in gist is the issue regarding the monthly salaries of the petitioners and their regularization in service.

(2.) Before going to the issue which has arisen for determination, it would be convenient if the facts of the cases are narrated briefly.

(3.) In writ petition WP(C)/7586/2022, there are 57 nos. of petitioners who were initially working under the Assam Urban Water Supply and Sewerage Board (hereinafter AUWS&S Board) in various parts of the State. Similarly, in WP(C)/3263/2023, there are 22 nos. of petitioners working in similar capacity on work charged basis. The petitioners in WP(C)/1989/2023 are 34 in numbers who are also working as work charged Khalashi in the Barak Valley Division of the AUWS&S Board. The petitioners claim to have been working for a long period of time without their services being regularized. Vide a notification dtd. 21/6/2022 issued by the Housing and Urban Affairs Department, Government of Assam, the AUWS&S Board was to partially handover the running schemes to the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and the concerned ULBs would bear the cost of electricity bill, chemical and maintenance bill of such schemes from the available fund under the 15th F.C. Tied Grant and AUWS&S Board would continue to operate and collect revenues until these schemes are fully handed over to the respective ULBs. The said order was passed pursuant to a decision taken in the meeting chaired by the Chief Minister of the State on 14/5/2022. The principal grievance of the petitioners is on the aspect of the payment of their regular salaries and also regularization of their services. In fact, in WP(C)/7586/2022 and 3263/2023, prayer has also been made for setting aside the aforesaid order dtd. 21/6/2022.