(1.) IN this Writ Petition, the Writ petitioners, 4 (four) in number, assail the order dated 12. 3. 99 vide Memo No. 1/13/97-SCERT (A) issued by the Director, State Council of Educational Research and Training, Government of Manipur wherein and whereunder the appointment/extension/ engagement/ Service petitioners and 16 others was cancelled
(2.) HEARD Mr. N. Jotendro, learned counsel for the petitioners, Mr. A. Jagatchandra, learned G. A. as well as Mr. N. Umakanta, learned counsel appearing for the State respondents.
(3.) FOR better appreciation of the case, it is necessary to state the brief facts in short details and necessary for the disposal of the case are: petitioners were initially engaged as Account Clerks/ LDC and Grade -IV respectively under the State Counsel of Educational Research and Training (in short S. C. E. R. T.) by two different orders on the same day, i. e. on 30. 11. 98, on contract basis. Since the date of their initial engagement, the petitioners were working without any break till the cancellation of their order of engagement. After serving few months, the Director of S. C. E. R. T. , Govt. of Manipur, cancelled the engagement orders of the petitioners including other 16 (sixteen) persons. Being aggrieved vide order dated 12. 3. 99 by the said order of cancellation of order of engagement dated 12. 3. 99; the Petitioners preferred the instant writ petition. In response to the writ petition, the state respondents filed their counter affidavits denying the allegations made in the writ petition.