TMI Blog1988 (9) TMI 344X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... which dealt with the method of recruitment provided that where the normal method of recruitment to any service, class or category was neither solely by direct recruitment nor solely by transfer but was both by direct recruitment and by transfer, the proportion or order in which the special rules concerned may require vacancies to be filled by persons recruited direct or by those recruited by transfer shall be applicable only to substantive vacancies in the permanent cadre. In those Rules the expression special rules meant the rules in Part III of the General Rules applicable to each service or class of service and included ad hoc rules applicable to temporary posts. On 23.3.1963 the Governor of Andhra Pradesh promulgated in exercise of his powers conferred by proviso to Article 3()9 of the Constitution of India the Special Rules providing for the constitution of and the method of recruitment to the Andhra Pradesh Panchayati Raj Engineering Service and the Special Rules were given retrospective effect from November 1, 1960 Under the Special Rules the Andhra Pradesh Panchayati Raj Engineering Service was to consist of four categories of officers, namely, Chief Engineer, Superintendi ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... rposes of recruitment. Three out of eight vacancies (which included both substantive and temporary vacancies) could be filled up by direct recruitment. In other words 37- 1/2 per cent of the total number of vacancies (both substantive and temporary vacancies) in the cadre of Assistant Engineers could be filled by direct recruitment. The Chief Engineer of the Andhra Pradesh Panchayati Raj Engineering Service reported to the State Government in his letter dated 25.11.1979 that the total number of posts of Assistant Engineers (Permanent and Temporary) excluding the cyclone posts available were 203 by the end of May, 1979. Out of the said 203 posts the number of posts available for direct recruitment was 75 (203 x 3/8) and that out of them 38 vacancies of Assistant Engineers had either been filled in by direct recruitment or notified to the Public Service Commission for selection and that the balance number of vacancies available for direct recruitment were 37 for the years 1978 and 1979. Out of these 37 remaining vacancies, as 23 posts had been filled by Assistant Engineers selected in direct recruitment, an estimate of 15 vacancies of Assistant Engineers was furnished to the Publi ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... s that the 51 vacancies which had been notified to the Public Service Commission for direct recruitment could not be filled up any longer by direct recruitment as according to them after the amendment of the Rules on 28.4.1980 only 37- 1/2 per cent of the substantive vacancies could be filled up by direct recruitment They contended that the 5 1 vacancies which had been notified to the Public Service Commission had been arrived at by taking into consideration temporary vacancies also and that was not permissible after the amendment. They further urged that under the Special Rules, as amended on 28.4.1980, only 8 vacancies could be filled up by direct recruitment When the above representation made by them did not elicit any positive reply from the State Government, they instituted Representation Petition No. 508 of 1982 on the file of the Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal for injunction restraining the State Government and the Public Service Commission from recruiting 51 persons as direct recruits to the cadre of Assistant Engineers The petition was opposed by the State Government It pleaded that the amendment made on 28.4 1980 to the Special Rules was only prospective in effect ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... ar from the Special Rules as they were in force prior to the amendment on 28.4.1980 that it was open to the State Government to fill 37-1/2 per cent of the vacancies (both substantive and temporary) in the cadre of Assistant Engineers by direct recruitment It is also not in dispute that during the years 1978 and 1979 the position of the vacancies was such that it was permissible for the State Government to appoint 51 Assistant Engineers by direct recruitment. The only question which has now to be considered is whether the amendment made on 28.4.1980 to the Special Rules applied only to the vacancies that arose after the date on which the amendment came into force or whether it applied to the vacancies which had arisen before the said date also. The crucial words in the Explanation which was introduced by way of amendment in the Special Rules on 28.4.1980 were 37-1/2 per cent of the substantive vacancies arising in the category of Assistant Engineers shall be PG NO 812 filled by the direct recruitment . If the above clause had read 37- 1/2 per cent of the substantive vacancies in the category of Assistant Engineers shall be filled by the direct recruitment perhaps there would not ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X ..... d Others etc. v. J. Sreenivasa Rao and Others, [ 1983] H 3 S.C.C. 264 in which in a similar situation this Court has observed in Paragraph 9 at page 289 thus: PG NO 813 The vacancies which occurred prior to the amended rules would be governed by the old rules and not by the amended rules. It is admitted by counsel for both the parties that henceforth promotion to the post of Sub-Registrar Grade II will be according to the new rules on the zonal basis and not on the State-wide basis and, therefore, there was no question of challenging the new rules But the question is of filling the vacancies that occurred prior to the amended rules. We have not the slightest doubt that the posts which fell vacant prior to the amended rules would be governed by the old rules and not by the new rules The facts of the case before us are in no way different from the facts involved in the above decision In view of the foregoing we are of the view that the observations made by the Tribunal to the following effect, namely: In this case the rules for recruitment have been changed on 28.4.1980. Hence, prima facie it would not be legal to make direct recruitment against temporary vacancies, even ..... X X X X Extracts X X X X X X X X Extracts X X X X
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