Ajaya Kumar Dash And Others vs State Of Odisha And Others
2021 Latest Caselaw 10655 Ori

            IN THE HIGH COURT OF ORISSA AT CUTTACK
                         W.P.(C) No. 31311 of 2021

Ajaya Kumar Dash and others             .....                       Petitioners
                                                       Mr.K. Swain, Advocate
                                  Vs.
State of Odisha and others              .....                  Opposite parties
                                                               State Counsel

             CORAM:
                 DR. JUSTICE B.R. SARANGI

                                         ORDER

05.10.2021

Order No. This matter is taken up through hybrid mode.

2. Heard learned counsel for the parties.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioners states that the petitioners have been continuing as a DLR employee under the Orissa Water Supply and Sewerage Board, but till date they have not been regularized, although more than 23 years have passed in the meantime. He has referred to the case of State of Karnataka v. Umadevi, 2006(4) SCC 1, wherein in paragraph 53 the apex Court has held that the State Governments and their instrumentalities should take steps to regularize as a one-time measure the services of such irregularly appointed who have worked for ten years or more in duly sanctioned posts. Similar view has also been taken by the apex Court in State of Karnataka and others v. M.L.Keshari and others, 2010(II) OLR (SC) 982, wherein in paragraph 7 the apex Court has held as follows :

"7. It is evident from the above that there is an exception to the general principles against 'regularization' enunciated in Umadevi if the following conditions are fulfilled:

(i) The employee concerned should have worked for 10 years or more in duly sanctioned post without the benefit or protection of the interim order of any court or tribunal. In other words, the State Government or its instrumentality should have employed the employee and continued him in service voluntarily and continuously for more than ten years.

(ii) The appointment of such employee should not be illegal even if irregular. Where the appointments are not made or continued against sanctioned posts or where the persons appointed do not possesses the prescribed minimum qualifications, the appointments will be considered to be illegal. But where the person employed possessed the prescribed qualifications and was working against sanctioned posts, but had been selected without undergoing the process of open competitive- selection, such appointments are considered to be irregular.

4. In that view of the matter, since the petitioners are continuing as DLR employee under the Orissa Water Supply and Sewerage Board and completed 23 years of service in the meantime and even though their appointment is irregular they should be regularized in service in view of the judgments of the apex Court in Umadevi and M.L.Keshari (supra), as well as Amarkanti Rai v. State of Bihar and others, (2015) 8 SCC 265.

5. In view of such position, the opposite parties are directed to regularize the service of the petitioners within a period of three months from the date of passing of this order.

With the aforesaid observation and direction the writ petition is allowed.

Urgent certified copy be granted on proper application.

                                          (DR. B.R. SARANGI)
Arun                                            JUDGE