SHASHI KANT Vs. STATE OF H.P

JUDGEMENT

(1.) By way of instant petition, petitioners have prayed for following substantive reliefs:

(2.) The background facts of the present matter in brief are that prior to 27/4/1994, HPPWD was a unified unit as a department, which came to be bifurcated after said date into two separate units i.e. PWD (B&R) and I&PH.

(3.) The petitioners and private respondents No. 2 to 14 were inducted as Diploma Holder Junior Engineers in the unified HPPWD before its bifurcation. Recruitment and Promotion Rules for the post of Assistant Engineer in unified HPPWD were notified on 18/9/1978 (for short, "1978 Rules"). As per these rules, 40% quota was meant for direct recruitment and 60% by promotion. Out of 60% promotional quota, 10% was meant for the Graduate Junior Engineers, having three years regular or ad-hoc service or both as such and those Junior Engineers, who had passed Ss. A and B of AMIE with five years regular or ad-hoc service or both as such.