Judgment

RANGANATH MISRA, J.- These are petitions under Article 32 of the Constitution. Petitioners are promotee-Engineers of the Roads & Buildings Wing of the Andhra Pradesh Engineering Service and challenge mainly is to certain earlier decisions of this Court resolving similar disputes by judgments rendered in writ petitions and to the guideline formulated by the State Government in the matter of the drawing up of the seniority list by way of implementation of this Courts directions.

2. Facts are not in dispute. Shortly stated, under the Rules substantive vacancies in the category of Assistant Engineers have to be filled up from two sources - 371/2 per cent by direct recruitment and the remainder of 621/2 per cent by transfer of Supervisors and Draughts men and by promotion of Junior Engineers. Regular direct recruitment had not been made as and when due and promotees beyond the limit had been put in the place of direct recruits. While disposing of a group of petitions in a contest of this type in K. Siva Reddy v. State of A.P1 a two Judge bench of this Court instead of disturbing the entire group of promotee-Engineers in excess of the quota, made the following direction : (SCC pp