JUDGMENT :

Ravi Ranjan, J.

Both these appeals arise out of the same order, as such, with the consent of the learned counsel for the parties, are being heard together and are disposed of by this common order.

2. Both these intra-court appeals, preferred under Clause 10 of the Letters Patent, are directed against the order/judgment dated 21.12.2021 passed by learned Single Judge of this Court in writ petitions being W.P.(S) No. 4187 of 2018 and W.P.(S) No.681 of 2019 whereby and whereunder the learned Single Judge has refused to interfere with the decision as taken in the Notification bearing No. 1622 dated 01.08.2018 issued vide Memo No.1623 dated 01.08.2018 whereby the Respondent No.6 has been granted promotion to the post of Chief Engineer as also refused to pass positive direction for consideration of the case of the writ petitioners for promotion to the post of Chief Engineer or any equivalent post and further declined to direct the respondents to treat and/or reckon the date of promotion to the post of Electrical Superintending Engineer with effect from 31.03.2015, i.e., the date on which the persons junior to the petitioners including Respondent Nos. 6 to 16, have been promoted to the post of Electrical Superintending Engineer. The learned Single Judge has also refused to interfere with the decision of the authority as contained in Letter No. 198 dated 26.02.2009 by which a decision was taken for publishing final gradation list determining inter-se seniority of Assistant Electrical Engineers belonging to General Cadre appointed by the erstwhile Bihar State Electricity Board, Patna including Assistant Electrical Engineers for General Cadre so far as it relates to the petitioners.

3. PRAYERS MADE IN W.P.(S) NO. 4187 OF 2018 (L.P.A. NO.24 OF 2022)

The writ petition W.P.(S) No. 4187 of 2018 has been filed for following reliefs :-

“1.(i) For issuance of an appropriate writ/order/direction, for quashing/setting aside the Notification bearing no. 1622, dated 01.08.2018, issued vide Memo No. 1623, dated 01.08.2018 (Annexurte-18), whereby Respondent No. 6 (Arvind Kumar) has been granted promotion to the post of Chief Engineer, especially because promotion has been granted to said Respondent No.6 without even considering the case of promotion of the present Petitioners to the post of Chief Engineer or equivalent post, despite the fact that Respondent No.6 is, admittedly, junior to present Petitioners.

(ii) For issuance of an appropriate writ/order/direction, including Writ of Mandamus directing the Respondent-authorities to consider the case of the Petitioners for promotion to the post of Chief Engineer or any equivalent posts, especially because the Petitioners are senior-most Electrical Engineers (General Cadre) and are, thus, entitled for consideration of their cases for promotion to the post of Chief Engineer or equivalent post.

(iii) For issuance of a further appropriate writ/order/direction directing the Respondent-authorities to treat and/or reckon the date of promotion of the Petitioners to the post of Electrical Superintending Engineer with effect from 31.03.2015 i.e. the date on which persons junior to the Petitioners, including Respondent No.6 to 16 have been granted promotion to the post of Electrical Superintending Engineer.

(iv) For issuance of a further appropriate writ/order/direction, including Writ of Declaration, declaring that Petitioners are senior to private Respondent No.6 to 16 and merely because said Respondent Nos. 6 to 16 have been granted promotion to the post of Electrical Superintending Engineer prior to the promotion given to the Petitioner on the said post, would not make Respondent No.6 to 16 senior to the Petitioners.

(v) In alternative to prayer (iii) and (iv) above, the Petitioners pray for issuance of further appropriate writ/order/direction, including Writ of Certiorari, for quashing/setting aside th