P.K. Musahary, J.

1. Heard Mr. A. Dasgupta, learned Counsel for the Petitioner and Mr. D. Baruah, learned Standing Counsel, for the Respondent BSNL.

2. The Petitioner initially joined the services of the Indian Posts and Telegraph Department on 14.08.1965 as a Telephone Operator at Bongaigaon Telephone Exchange and was released from the strength of Bongaigaon Exchange on 04.07.2006 by the Junior Engineer (Telegraphs). The Petitioner continued to work under the Assistant Engineer (Trunks), Guwahati, till 1980. Thereafter, the Petitioner made a request to the authorities concerned to transfer him from Guwahati to Bongaigaon and accordingly, he was transferred to Bongaigaon Telephone Exchange on 23.08.1980 under the Department of Telecommunications whereupon his name was struck-off from the strength of the Unit namely C.T.X. Guwahati. Thereafter, he was promoted from the post of Telephone Operator to the post of Senior Grade Telephone Operator on 30.11.1983 and his name appeared at serial No. 102 of the Telephone Operators prepared as on 01.01.1984. With the creation of Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (in short, BSNL), the Petitioner became the employee of the BSNL after exercising