IN THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT (THE HIGH COURT OF ASSAM: NAGALAND: MEGHALAYA: MANIPUR: TRIPURA: MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH) WP(C) No.2184/2010 1.Shri Manabendra Sarma, Son of Sri Sarat Ch. Sarma, Resident of Durga Sarobar, Kamakhya Gate, P.O. Bharalumukh, District- Kamrup, Assam. 2.Shri Khargeswar Bora, Son of Late Nareswar Bora, Resident of Vill & P.O.-Tulashimukh, District- Nagaon, Assam. 3.Shri Mukut Deka, Son of Late Bhagawan Ch. Deka, Resident of Ananda Nagar, Bye-Lane No.1, P.O. Noonmati, District- Kamrup, Assam. 4.Shri Utpal Tamuly, Son of Sambhu Ram Tamuly, Resident of Vill-Abhaypur, P.O.- College Nagar, Guwahati-31, District- Kamrup, Assam. 5.Shri Paban Kumar Hazarika, Son of Sri Joynath Hazarika, Village-Bisoyachook, P.O. Puranigudam, District- Nagaon. 6.Shri Nipan Mahanta, S/o Sri Sarat Ch. Mahanta, Resident of Vill & P.O.-Sualkuchi, District- Kamrup, Assam. 2 7.Shri Apurba Kr. Baruah, Son of Sri BN Baruah, Resident of Village- Kachalukhowa, P.O.-Nagaon, District- Nagaon, Assam. 8.Shri Mriganka Kumar Baruah, S/o Shri Jugal Mohan Baruah, Resident of Hatigaon, Guwahati, District- Kamrup. 9.Shri Ashim Jyoti Moral, C/o Dr. Bhagaban Moral, Fatasil G.S. Colony, Guwahati, District- Kamrup. 10.Shri Jitu Moni Hazarika, C/o Shri Thuleswar Hazarika, Village & P.O.-Debnarikali, District- Nagaon. 11.Shri Pranab Kumar Sarmah, S/o Late Guna Ram Sarmah, Village & P.O.-Borangutoli, District- Nagaon. 12.Shri Iftikar Rahman, Son of Rejifur Rahman, Resident of Vill- Ghutulai Patty, Haibargaon, District- Nagaon, Assam. 13.Shri Dipjyoti Saikia, Son of Sri Munindra Nath Saikia, Resident of Town Panigaon, Nagaon, District- Nagaon, Assam. 14.Shri Deba Prasad Bora, Son of Sri Bapi Ram Bora, Resident of Vill-Maukhati, PO-Ronthali, District- Nagaon, Assam. 3 15.Mrs. Tilu Khataniar, Daughter of Late Duti Khataniar, Resident of Vill-Maukhati, PO-Ronthali, District- Nagaon, Assam. 16.Smti Riju Moni Bora, Daughter of Lalit Ch. Bora, Resident of Vill-Poruagaon, PO-Biharigaon, District- Nagaon, Assam. 17.Shri Gobinda Sarma, Son of Sri Agni Sarma Resident of Vill-Jyoti Nagar, PO-Bokakhat, District- Golaghat, Assam. 18.Shri Madhab Ch. Goswami, Son of Late Hirendra Nath Goswami, Resident of Vill-Namgaon, PO-Borbhogia, District- Nagaon, Assam. 19.Shri Jiten Bora, Son of late Ghanasyam Bora, Vill & PO-Kuwarital, District- Nagaon, Assam. 20.Shri Ranjit Borah, Son of Giri Kanta Borah, Resident of Vill-Teliagaon, PO- Pubthuria, District- Nagaon, Assam. 21.Shri Santanu Kumar Baruah, Son of Late Nanda Nath Baruah, Resident of Bamunimaidam, Opposite FCI Go down, Guwahati, District- Kamrup, Assam. 22.Shri Rohini Kanta Kalita, Son of Nagen Kalita, Resident of Vill-Fatepur, PO-Agia, District- Goalpara, Assam. 4 23.Smti Irani Borah, Wife of Pulin Ch. Borah, Assam Tribune Office, Guwahati-3, District- Kamrup, Assam. 24. Shri Mrinmoy Kr. Bora, Son of Sri Sachi Kanta Bora, Resident of RRB Road, South Haiborgaon, District- Nagaon, Assam. 25.Shri Dharmeswar Hazarika, Son of Late Dambaru Hazarika, Resident of Vill-Nam Kariyani, District- Nagaon, Assam. 26.Shri Akhtarul Alam, Son of Late Nurul Islam, Resident of Azad Nagar, PO-Suta Haibar, District- Nagaon, Assam. 27.Shri Dhrubajyoti Sarma, Son of Sri PC Sarma, Resident of Jatia Path, Guwahati, District- Kamrup, Assam. 28.Shri Gautam Gogoi, Son of Sri Moniram Gogoi, Resident of Dimowguri, Nagaon, District- Nagaon, Assam. … PETITIONERS -Vs.- 1. The State of Assam represented by the Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam, Dispur, Guwahati. 2. The Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Assam, Secretariat Administration Department, Dispur, Guwahati. 5 3. The Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Assam, Personnel, GAD, SAD Department, Dispur, Guwahati. ..…..RESPONDENTS WP(C) No.5645/2010 1.Sri Mukut Ranjan Sarma, Son of Sri Homeswar Sarma, Resident of Village- Nonoi, Muragaon, District-Nagaon, Assam. 2.Sri Kamaludddin Ahmed, Son of Late Abu Bakkar Siddik, Resident of Village & P.O.-Rupahi, Police Station-Rupahi, District- Nagaon, Assam. 3.Sri Alokesh Bora, Son of Late Padma Kanta Bora, Resident ofVillage & PO-Katonigaon, District- Nagaon, Assam. 4.Sri Rajib Bora, Care of Sri Jiten Kalita, Resident of Village- Paschim Jolah, Police Station- Nagaon Sadar, District- Nagaon, Assam. 5.Md. Farizul Haque, Son of Late Kamaluddin Ahmed, Resident of Parul Baruah Path, Near Railway Station, Police Station-Nagaon Sadar, District- Nagaon, Assam. 6.Sri Naba Borkotoky, Son of Late Hem Chandra Borkotoky, Resident of Industry Road, PO-Gopal Bazar, Police Station-Nalbari, District- Nalbari, Assam. 6 7.Sri Ratul Mahanta, Son of Sri Dharani Dhar Mahanta, Resident of Village- Bardadhi, P.O.-Gerua, Police Station-Hajo, District- Kamrup, Assam. 8.Sri Budheswar Saikia, Son of Late Ananda Chandra Saikia, Resident of Village-UIuoni, PO-Rupahi, District-Nagaon, Assam. 9.Sri Nabajyoti Sarmah, Son of Sri Debendra Nath Sarmah, South Hazarpur Railway Gate, Opposite Employment Exchange, PO-Tezpur, District- Sonitpur, Assam. 10.Sri Dipak Sarma, Son of Sri Khagendra Nath Sarma, Resident of House No.2, Bye-Lane No.M7, Near Post Office, Rupnagar, Guwahati, PIN-781032, District- Kamrup (Metro) Assam. 11.Sri Anil Sarma, Care of Sri Akhil Sarma, O/o The Principal, Gauhati Medical College, Narakasur Hill Top, PO-Indrapur, Guwahati, Pin-781032, District- Kamrup (Metro), Assam. 12.Sri Rajib Choudhury, Son of Sri Deben Das, Resident of East Jyotinagar, PS-Noonmati, Guwahati, PIN-781020, District- Kamrup (Metro), Assam. -Vs.- 7 1. The State of Assam represented by the Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam, Dispur, Guwahati-781006, District-Kamrup (M), Assam. 2. The Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Assam, Secretariat Administration Department, Dispur, Guwahati-781006, District-Kamrup (M), Assam. 3. The Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Assam, Personnel Department, Dispur, Guwahati-781006. District-Kamrup (M), Assam. ..…..RESPONDENTS B E F O R E HON’BLE MRS JUSTICE ANIMA HAZARIKA In WP(C) No.2184/2010 Advocates for the petitioners : Mr. PK Goswami, Senior Advocate Mr. M Bhuyan, Mr. S Sarma, Mr. P Hazarika. Advocates for the respondents : Mr. RK Bora, Addl. Senior Govt. Advocate, Assam 8 In WP(C) No.5645/2010 Advocates for the petitioners : Mr. M Choudhury, Mr. A Gogoi. Advocates for the respondents : Mr. RK Bora, Addl. Senior Govt. Advocate, Assam Date of hearing : O2.05.2012 & 01.06.2012 Date of delivery of judgment : 01.06.2012. JUDGMENT AND ORDER (ORAL) Both these writ petitions are proposed to be disposed of by this common judgment and order as they involve similar question of facts and law. 2. In both the writ petitions, the order dated 9.3.2010 whereby and whereunder the petitioners‟ services were terminated by the Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Assam in the Secretariat Administration Department have been impugned. 9 3. Heard Mr. PK Goswami, learned Senior counsel assisted by Mr. M Bhuyan, Advocate, in WP(C) No.2184/2010 filed by 28 petitioners and Mr. M Choudhury, learned counsel in WP(C) No.5645/2010 filed by 12 petitioners. Also heard Mr. RK Bora, learned Additional Senior Govt. Advocate for the State respondents and perused the records made available before this Court. 4. The admitted facts leading to issuance of this cumulative impugned order may be summarized as follows: a. The writ petitioners on being subjected to a selection process were appointed in the posts of Lower Division Assistants (LDA for short) in the Assam Secretariat under the Secretariat Administration Department, Govt. of Assam on Ad hoc basis with full time scale of pay. By different office orders but containing similar Office Memo No.S(E)/70/2001/3 dated 30.03.2001 issued by the Commissioner & Secretary to the Government of Assam, Secretariat Administration: Estt. Department. The petitioners were appointed temporarily as LDA against ckear vacancies under Secretariat Administration Department on Ad hoc basis. In the appointment orders it was clearly mentioned that the same were issued with due clearance of SLEC, i.e. State Level Empowered Committee. However, these appointment orders stood cancelled after the writ 10 petitioners have reported for joining in their posts vide Orders contained in NO. S(E)70/2001/30 dated 19.05.2001 issued by the Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam on the ground that: (i). the appointments were made in gross violation of the provisions of Assam Secretariat Subordinate Service Rules, 1963 („Rules‟ for short), inasmuch as, under the said Rules the Chief Secretary is the appointing authority of the Lower Division Assistants while the appointments orders in question were made by the Commissioner & Secretary, Secretariat Administration Department, (ii) Appointments were made without the knowledge of the Chief Secretary and, (iii) That the relaxation of the Rules for making appointment was illegal. 5. These orders came to be challenged before this Court by a series of writ petitions, viz. W.P.(C) Nos. 3677/2001, 4299/2001, 4303/2001, 4324/2001, 4327/2001 & 4354/2001 which stood dismissed by order dated 28.09.2001, passed by a Single Bench of this Court. The judgment of the Single Bench being challenged in W.A. Nos. 429/2001, 430/2001, 431/2001, 432/2001 & 436/2001, Division Bench of this Court allowed the said appeals vide 11 judgment and order dated 16.09.2002, setting aside the judgment and order dated 28.09.2001 passed in the writ petitions as well as the impugned order of cancellation dated 19.05.2001 with a direction to the State respondents to take back the writ appellants/writ petitioners in service within a period of 3 weeks from the date of receipt of certified copy of the Judgment and order passed in the writ appeals by issuing necessary orders, without, however, payment of any arrear salary. The judgment of the Division Bench was based on the principal premise that the impugned orders of cancellation of appointments having involved civil consequences depriving the legitimate rights of the appointees, the termination of services without giving prior notice and opportunity to the appellants/writ petitioners were bad in law.