N. KOTISWAR SINGH, J.

1. Heard Mr. S.K. Das, learned counsel for the petitioner as well as Mr. H. Sarma, learned counsel for all the respondents.

2. The petitioners are presently serving as Assistant Health Inspectors under the Guwahati Municipal Corporation, Guwahati. The petitioner No. 1 who is an Arts Graduate was initially appointed as a Supervisor on 18.04.1984 and the petitioner No. 2, a Science graduate, as Supervisor on 04.09.1984 and thereafter, their services were regularized along with 6 incumbents on 28.01.1985.

3. Subsequently, they were promoted to the posts of Assistant Health Inspector vide a common order dated 07.09.2007 and have been discharging their duties in the aforesaid capacity till now without any further promotional avenue or opportunity offered by the respondent authorities. According to the petitioners, this amounts to stagnation in service more so, when according to the petitioners some persons who were appointed along with them as Supervisors later, had been absorbed as LDAs and had been given promotion to higher post of UDAs and later to the post of Deputy Rank Officer. The post of Deputy Rank Officer is higher than the Assistant Health Officer. T