Judgment

RANGANATH MISRA, J. - The group of writ petitions under Art. 32 of the Constitution is at the instance of several directly recruited Assistant Engineers now designated as Deputy Executive Engineers in the Engineering Service of the Roads and Buildings division of Andhra Pradesh Government. Writ Petition No. 12401 of 1985 is by 13 Assistant Engineers of the same service who were also directly recruited. The challenge in the batch of writ petitions is mainly to an order of the Chief Engineer, respondent 2 therein, by asking for quashing of his order dated 8th of June, 1984 by which he regularised temporary service of promotees in the years 1972-73, 1973-74 and 1974-75 to the cadre of Assistant Engineers (Deputy Executive Engineers). According to the petitioners, the retrospective regularisation made by the Chief Engineer of the promotees to the posts of Assistant Engineers is without authority and is in gross violation of the prescription of the Rules. They have asked for a direction to the State Government and its authorities in Writ Petition No. 12401 of 1985 to consider the claim of direct recruits for promotion as Executive Engineers and consequential reliefs. In the batc