BALIHAR SINGH Vs. PUNJAB UNIVERSITY

JUDGEMENT

(1.) BY this judgment dispose of three Civil Writ Petitions Nos. 12595 of 2002 (Balihar Singh and Ors. v. Panjab University and Ors.), 16075 of 2000 (Nirdosh Kumar and Anr. v. Panjab University and Ors.) and 221 of 2001 (Lal Chand v. Panjab University and Ors.) as in my opinion all the three writ petitions can be disposed of by a common judgment. For the purpose of facts I am taking the same from Civil Writ Petition No. 12595 of 2000.

(2.) THE Petitioners of this writ petition are seeking the directions of this court that as their services have been illegally terminated, therefore, after calling upon the respondents No. 1 to 3 to produce their termination orders, the same may be quashed and directions be also given to the said respondents to reinstate the petitioners in service forthwith and give them all the back wages and consequential benefits of service. It was also prayed by the petitioners that directions be issued to the respondents to regularise their services or frame a policy for regularisation.

(3.) NOTICE of the writ petition was given to the respondents. A joint written statement was filed on behalf of respondents No. 1 to 3 and it is the stand of these respondents that the petitioners were engaged on contractual temporary basis against the leave vacancies in the office of the Executive Engineer, Panjab University. Initially they were engaged for a period of three months and their term was extended from time to time after giving them one day break each and they were allowed to continue to work up to 31.8.2000. As per budget estimates for the year 2000 -2001, there was no provision for filling up the sanctioned vacant posts. Keeping in view the financial crunch in the University, the petitioners were not allowed to continue to work after 31.8.2000. Relying upon the provisions of section 2(oo)(bb) of the Act, the respondent -University took the stand that the services of the petitioners have been terminated as a result of non -renewal of the contract of employment and thus the case of the petitioners is covered under Section 2(oo)(bb) of the Act. Hence, there is no merit in the writ petition.