(1) This petition and numerous other petitions are filed in this Court for challenging the validity of the Government Resolution, dated March 18, 1966, as clarified by the two circular letters each dated April 16, 1966. The petitioners also challenge the notices of discharge, each dated April 5, 1966, terminating the services of each of the petitioners and allotting them to services of Zilla Parishads as of and from August 16, 1966. In other petitions also similar notices are challenged. The petitioners have prayed for quashing and setting aside of the notices of discharge and also for a mandamus restraining the Government from allotting the petitioners to the services of Zilla Parishad, Dhulia.

(2) The questions arising in this petition being common to several petitions filed in this Court are of general importance in relation to all the Class 3 and Class 4 employees of the State Government (consisting of about 45/55 thousand in all) who as surplus staff, are proposed to be allotted and transferred to ""District Services"" of Zilla Parishads of several districts in the State of Maharashtra.

(3) The broad facts leading to the passing of the above resolution and the issuing of the notices of discharge dated April 5, 1966, devoid of numerous details which will require to be noticed in connection with the contentions made by the parties, may be summarised as follows: The petitioners were initially recruited in the Revenue Department as Clerks on various dates between the years 1943 and 1944. They were confirmed as Clerks in the year 1948. They were promoted to officiate as Aval Karkuns in the years 1956 and 1957. Subsequently, in 1965, they were promoted to officiate as Mamlatdars. Long prior to April 1966, the petitioners were provisionally substantively confirmed as Aval Karkuns and were then officiating as Mamlatdars. The scale of pay available to the petitioners as Aval Karkuns was Rs. 145-8-185-10-215 plus admissible allowances. The petitioners had reached the maximum of Rs. 215, long prior to their promotion of officiate as Mamlatdars in 1965. As officiating Mamlatdars, the petitioners were entitled to the scale of pay of Rs. 300-12-420-E. B.-15-450-20-550. In April 1966, the petitioners were drawing the basic salary of Rs. 315 and admissible allowance amounting to about Rs. 45 per month.

(4) The programme of Community Development and National Extension Service was initiated by the State Government in 1952 to provide for a multilateral intensive development of rural areas according to a phased programme. As soon as a particular area was selected to form a project or block for such development, the staff, finance and other requisites were provided according to a set pattern. The staffing pattern included certain normal categories of posts like those of Aval Karkuns, etc. Most of the posts created were treated as temporary additions to the normal cadres of the respective departments and the personnel was also drawn from those normal cadres to meet the requirements of the projects and blocks. The cadre of Aval Karkuns catered to the needs of development blocks and certain posts of Aval Karkuns were specially sanctioned for the work connected with development activities under the control of the District Collectors. All these posts were continued on a temporary basis year after year. On May 1, 1962, the Maharashtra Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis Act 1961 (Act 5 of 1962) hereinafter referred to as the Act, came into force. The Act was passed inter alia to provide for the establishment in rural areas of Zilla Parishads and Panchayat Samitis, to assign to them local Government functions and to entrust to them the execution of certain works and development schemes of the State Five-Year Plans. Section 101-B of the Act required the Government to transfer to the Zilla Parishads all completed works and development schemes relating to the activities which fell within their sphere under the Act. On May 1, 1962, the State