JUDGMENT

Lokeshwar Singh Panta, J. —

1. Leave granted.

2. This appeal is directed against the common judgment and order dated 15.09.2006 passed by a Division Bench of the High Court of Gauhati, dismissing Writ Appeal Nos. 471/2003 and 08/2005 filed by the appellants herein against the common judgment and order dated 14.08.2003 of the learned Single Judge in WP (C) No. 2026/2001, WP (C) No.2036/2001 and WP (C) No.4932/2001 whereby the learned Single Judge has dismissed the said writ petitions.

3. Briefly stated the facts of the case are as follows:-

The Assam Public Service Commission (hereinafter referred to as “APSC”) had issued an advertisement dated 19.08.1997 for filling up 27 posts of Child Development Project Officer (hereinafter referred to as “CDPOs”), pursuant whereupon a selection process was held. Finally, a select list dated 17.07.2000 containing the names of 64 candidates far in excess of the notified vacancies was prepared and published by the APSC. The names of the appellants who are 13 in number before this Court appeared in the select list below 27 persons who were appointed on merit by the State Government.

4. The appellants filed two separate writ petitions befor