JUDGMENT :

P. B. BAJANTHRI, J.

1. In these bunch of petitions, petitioners have sought for quashing endorsements issued to each of the petitioners (Annexure - A, A1 to A75). Further, they have sought for direction to the second respondent to regularize their services in the post of Accounting Consultants from their initial date of appointment and to extend the pay scale attached to the post of Accounts in the pay scale of Rs.16,000-29,600/- (Rs.8000-14,800) in the light of the decision passed in W.P.Nos.47587-47591/2012 (Ann.AS).

2. The State Government evolved a policy relating to maintaining books of accounts in each and every local bodies like Municipality or City Corporation. In this regard, the Deputy Commissioner was empowered to recruit Accounting Consultants in the respective Municipalities/Corporation under KMRP Project for Implementation of FBAS with qualification of B'com graduate vide order dated 14.02.2007. On 25.06.2007, petitioners were appointed under the Municipal Reforms Project (KMR) on temporary contract basis as Accounting Consultants but in subsequent documents, respondents 2 to 23 have misquoted as 'Accountant' whereas it should have been throughout 'Accountant Consultants'. Such appointment was to be on contract basis. While inviting applications from eligible candidates to conduct test and interview vide dated 04.04.2007, it is learnt that respective Deputy Commissioners of the District as per the Government Notification dated 05.09.2008 were empowered to notify and they have notified in the news paper for temporary contract appointment of Accounting Consultants (Accountant) for one year period and it is extendable one more year on consolidated pay of Rs.7500/6000 to the respective post in the local body. (SFC Fund). Condition No.4 reads as under:

XXX

Condition No.4 of the advertisement dated 07.11.2008 reads as under:

XXX

On 05.09.2008, Government of Karnataka issued a notification which reads as under:

In exercise of the powers conferred under by sub-section (4) of Section 323 of Karnataka Municipalities Act, 1964 (Karnataka Act 22 of 1964) and the rule 1 (3) of Karnataka Municipalities Accounting and Budgeting Rules, 2006 under chapter 1 of Part-A General, preliminary, the enclosed 85 ULB'S are notified and included in Schedule 1 of the said rule as serial number 131 to 215 with effect from 1-04-2009. The Karnataka Municipalities Accounting and Budgeting Rules, 2006 are applicable to these Municipalities with effect from 1-04-2009.

Deputy Commissioners of concerned Districts are also authorized to appoint Accounting Consultants to these ULB's in accordance with Government order No. XXX 14-02-2007 WITH IMMEDIATE EFFECT.

3. Among others, petitioners were appointed in the respective districts on contract basis to the post of Accounting Consultants for a specified period of one year on 25.06.2007. Tenure was extended from time to time. In view of the above factual aspect that the post of Accountant was existing from the year 1971. Therefore, it is not the fact that for the first time Accountant post was incorporated in the Rules of recruitment, in the year 2010.

4. State Government issued The Karnataka Municipalities (Recruitment of Officers and Servants) Rules, 1971 (For short 'Rules, 1971). Schedule - I of the said Rules which relates to Accountants is reproduced hereunder:

The Karnataka Municipalities (Recruitment of Officers and Employees) Rules, 2004 (For short, 'Rules, 2004