B.D.Singh, J.

1. All these seven writ petitions were heard together on the re-quest of the parties as they chiefly arise out of the notifications appointing officers from the Irrigation Department to River Valley Project Department (hereinafter referred to as R. V. P. D.) and placing them senior to the petitioners.

2. C. W. J. C. Nos. 572 and 681 of 1967 were filed by M. G. Sharan impleading the State of Bihar as respondent No. 1 and S. K. Banerji as respondent No. 2. C. W. J. C. 572 was admitted on 14-9-67 and in this petition the petitioner has challenged the validity of the notification dated the 26th August, 1967 (Annexure A to the main application) placing the services of respondent No. 2, who belonged to the cadre of the Irrigation Department, at the disposal of R. V. P. D., and he has asked this court to quash the said notification, and to command respondent No. 1 by a writ of mandamus to fill up the vacancy of the post of Chief Engineer in Gandak and Sone Barrage Project after considering the rightful claim of the petitioner over the said post. Subsequently it appears that the State Government, by notification dated the 27th of September, 1967 appointed respondent N