JUDGMENT

Abhay Manohar Sapre, J.

1) Applications for impleadment are allowed.

2) Leave granted.

3) These appeals are filed against the common final judgment and order dated 20.09.2013 passed by the High Court of Andhra Pradesh at Hyderabad in Writ Petition Nos. 5161 and 7297 of 2013 whereby the High Court allowed the writ petitions and set aside the order dated 01.02.2013 of the A.P. Administrative Tribunal, Hyderabad in O.A. No. 4283 of 2012 and batch, in consequence thereof, quashed memorandum No. 83/E1/2001 dated 22.05.2012 of the Director General of the State Disaster Response and Firer Services, Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad.

4) Facts of the case need mention, in detail, infra to appreciate the controversy involved in the appeals.

5) The dispute in these appeals essentially relates to inter se seniority of the Station Fire Officers (for short, “SFOs”).

6) In the year 1993, the appellants and the private respondents were appointed as SFOs by direct recruitment, which is a multi-zonal post, after passing the test conducted by the Andhra Pradesh State Level Police Recruitment Board (hereinafter referred to as “the Board”). By virtue of that examination, 59 candidates were selected in the M