Judgment

These appeals are directed against the judgment of the Central Admin­istrative Tribunal, Patna Bench, before whom the appellants had claimed seniority over respondents 5, 6, 7 and 8 in the cadre of Statistical Assistant under the Census Organisation. In the Census organisation, the hierarchy of posts start from Assistant Complier and then Computer, Statistical Assistant, Tabulation Officer and then Investigator. The appellants joined the organisation as Assistant Complier in May-June, 1970: whereas respondents 5, 6 and 7 were also appointed as Assistant Complier on 2.6.1970 and respondent No. 3 had been appointed on 22.7.1970. There was no recruitment Rules then in force, and persons were promoted on adhoc basis to the posts of Com­puters and then also to Statistical Assistants. The Recruitment Rules came into force in the year 1973. After the Recruitment Rules came into force, the Government took the task or considering the cases of all adhoc promotees in different ranks by constituting a Departmental Promotion Committee and on the basis of the recommendation of the said Departmental Promotion Committee, regularised the services of differ­ent employees in different ranks.