JUDGMENT :

M.R. Shah, J.

1. Feeling aggrieved and dissatisfied with the impugned judgment and order dated 01.10.2020 passed by the High Court of Himachal Pradesh in CMP (M) No.1375 of 2019 in LPA No.50 of 2020 by which the Division Bench of the High Court has refused to condone the delay in preferring the LPA against the judgment and order passed by the learned Single Judge passed in CWP No.771 of 2016, the State of Himachal Pradesh has preferred the present appeal.

2. Though the present appeal is against the impugned order passed by the Division Bench of the High Court refusing to condone the delay in preferring the LPA, instead of remanding the matter to the Division Bench to decide the appeal on merits and to consider the legality and validity of the judgment and order passed by the Hon’ble Judge, we have heard the learned counsel appearing on behalf of the respective parties on merits against the judgment and order passed by the learned Single Judge.

2.1 That the respondents herein original writ petitioners filed the writ petition before the learned Single Judge of the High Court being CWP No.771 of 2016 and prayed for the following reliefs :

"(i) That the respondents may be direct