JUDGMENT :

V. Ramasubramanian, J.

Challenging a common order passed by the Himachal Pradesh State Administrative Tribunal (hereinafter referred to as 'the Tribunal') in a batch of Original Applications, directing the Himachal Pradesh Staff Selection Commission (hereinafter referred to as the 'Staff Selection Commission') to appoint the applicants before the Tribunal as Surveyors, the Staff Selection Commission has come up with these seven writ petitions.

2. We have heard Mr. B.C. Negi, learned Senior Counsel appearing for the Staff Selection Commission which is the petitioner in all these writ petitions, the learned Advocate General appearing for the State and Mr. Yogesh Kumar Chandel, learned counsel appearing for the respondents, who were applicants before the Tribunal.

3. By a Notification dated 16.5.2016, the Staff Selection Commission invited applications for appointment to various posts, in various departments of the Government. One of the posts included in the Notification for recruitment was the post of Surveyors, to be appointed on contract basis, in the Department of Industries and in the Department of Irrigation and Public Health. The post code allotted to the said post in