JUDGMENT

Altamas Kabir, J.

1. This batch of Civil Appeals arises out of a common judgment passed by the Andhra Pradesh High Court in a batch of Writ Petitions allowing the same and setting aside an order dated 10th March, 1998, passed by the Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal in O.A. No. 3599 of 1995 and other connected matters and consequently setting aside G.O. Ms. No. 325 dated 15th June, 1999. In that view of the matter, these Civil Appeals have been taken up for hearing together along with Writ Petition (Civil) No. 566 of 2003.

2. The question to be decided in all the writ petitions was in regard to the procedure to be adopted in determining the seniority of Civil Assistant Surgeons in the Andhra Pradesh Medical & Health Services.

3. In order to appreciate the aforesaid question, it is necessary to set out the background in which the said question arose.

4. The Appellants and the Respondents are members of the Medical and Health Department in the State of Andhra Pradesh. The Appellants herein were promoted to the post of Associate Professors and Professors by virtue of an order passed by the Tribunal, which was approved by the High Court and thereby attained finality. The prese