Withdrawal of scheme for employment of land losers bars their claim for employment.

JUDGMENT :

Bibek Chaudhuri, J.

1. Indisputably litigations in perpetuity have been going on not only before this Court but also before other High Courts filed by the land losers or their family members with a prayer for appointment in different steel plants under the administrative control of the Steel Authority of India Limited.

2. Let me now briefly narrate the facts of the case.

For development and expansion of IISCO Steel Plant some land was required. The State Government in acquisition process vide L.A. Case No. LA-11/32R/88-89 acquired considerable portion of land in the mouzas of Nakrasota, Kaliapur, Baradighari, Hirapur, Sarmara and Purushottampur within P.S. Hirapur, undivided Burdwan. The area of the land acquisition was measuring 308 acres. The said land was handed over to IISCO for expansion of the plant.

3. Within the said land there was a temple called by the local people as “Jhoroburi” temple. A dispute cropped up between the Steel Plant Authority and the local villagers on the issue of shifting the said temple. Subsequently, the land losers and the local people started agitation for employment in addition to the compensation granted by the IISCO to the land losers in accordance with law. IISCO prepared a list of 178 candidates being the land losers or their relatives and sent it to the State Government for verification. After getting the verification report the IISCO made arrangement for their training and on receiving training successfully they were absorbed in the establishment of IISCO.

4. It is the case of the petitioners that they are also similarly placed persons and they have been discriminated by not offering the job by IISCO and the said authority being an instrumentality of the Central Government violated the right to equality enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution of India.

5. The learned advocate for the petitioners at the outset takes me to an offer of appointment for the post of attendant-cum-technician (trainee) given to one Ms. Sumana Ghosh (Roy) on 13th January, 2016. It is submitted by Mr. Ahammed, learned advocate for the petitioners that immediately after issuance of the said appointment letter to 178 land losers the petitioners being the similarly placed have filed the instant writ petition.

6. The learned advocate for the petitioners also refers to a letter dated 16th May, 2013 written by the Deputy General Manager (PERS), SAIL to one Ashis Majhi, one of the petitioners herein stating, inter alia, that based on the list of names of villagers whose lands have been acquired for ISP, provided by the Govt. of West Bengal, ISP under its CSR initiatives has undertaken the training of 178 land losers through Governments ITIs under Craftsmen Training Scheme (CTS) to make them employable for the purpose of earning livelihood.

7. It is contended by Mr. Ahammed that when the said letter was issued, the petitioners came to know that 178 land losers were given training in ITIs run by the State Government to make them employable. It is also submitted by Mr. Ahammed referring to a letter dated 6th July, 2015 which is an information upon an application under the RTI Act that the petitioners came to know the details of the land losers and their relatives who received employment by now in the establishment of IISCO. Thus, it is contended by Mr. Ahammed that the petitioners being similarly placed are entitled to similar treatment by the State and they have approached this Court at the earliest opportunity immediately after receiving information that 178 land losers or their relatives were given training to make them employable in IISCO.

8. Thus, it is contended by Mr. Ahmed that the petitioners being similarly placed are entitled to similar treatment by the State and they have approached this Court at the earliest opportunity immediately after receiving information that 178 land losers or their relatives were given training to make them employable in IISCO.

9. Mr. Gupta, learned Senior Counsel on behalf of respond