SANGITRAO S. PATIL, J.

Rule. Rule made returnable forthwith. With the consent of the learned counsel for the parties, the petition is heard finally.

2. The petitioner is an association of the Employees of Agricultural Technology Management Agency popularly known as “ATMA” and hereinafter referred to as ATMA only. The learned counsel for the petitioner relying on the contents of the petition as well as rejoinders dated 30th January, 2016 and 15th April, 2016 submits that respondent no.1–Union of India sponsored a scheme called “ATMA” to support the State Extension Agricultural Programmes in the year 2010. The said programmes were to operate at District and Block Levels for implementation of the said scheme. Various posts were created such as Block Technology Manager (for short, “BTM”), Subject Matter Specialist (for short, “SMS”) which subsequently renamed as Assistant Technology Manager (for short, “ATM”) and Computer Programmer (for short, “CP”). The Apex Body namely ATMA Governing Board was established for supervising the overall policy directions. Accordingly, one post of BTM and two posts of ATMs were to be filled up at the Block Level on contract basis. The post of Com