RAJINDER SINGH Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This judgment will dispose of above-mentioned Civil Writ Petitions.

(2.) The present writ petitions pertain to the appointments of Clerks/Multipurpose Health Workers in various departments in the State of Punjab. The petitioners applied for the posts in question under the Advertisement, Annexure P-1, and after a type test and interviews held in November/December, 1999 the final result was declared on 8.3.2000 and 512 candidates in all were finally selected for appointment. The petitioners (in C.W.P. No. 16687 of 2002) were recommended for appointment to the office of the Registrar, Co-operative Societies on 13.12.2001. They visited the office aforesaid to seek formal posting orders between December 18 and 24, 2001 but they could not be handed over as the dealing assistant was on leave and unfortunately, before this formality could be completed, elections in the State of Punjab were announced leading to the enforcement of the model code of conduct and thereafter a ban was also imposed by the Election Commission on further appointments on 16.1.2002. The net result is that the petitioners have not been able to get appointments till today.

(3.) In the reply filed by the respondents, the facts, as stated, have not been denied but it has been reiterated that as a ban had been imposed by the Election Commission and thereafter by the State Government on fresh appointments, the petitioners were not entitled to appointment on the posts in question. The fact that some persons were not lower in the merit list, had been accommodated in other departments, has, however, not been denied.