V. Ratnam, J.

1. In these writ petitions at the instance of the same petitioner, he has prayed for the issue of a writ of certiorari to quash the orders of the second respondent in No. 3760/E5/78-2 dated 3.4.1979 and in 3760/E5/79-1 dated 2.4.1979 respectively, by which the second respondent proceeded to give paper promotion to respondents 3 to 53 in W.P.No. 2727 of 1979 and respondents 3 and 4 in W.P. No. 5772 of 1979. Since common questions arise for decision in these writ petitions and the impugned orders in both the writ petitions are identical, these writ petitions are dealt with together.

2. The petitioner was recruited as an Assistant Statistical Investigator in the year 1969 through the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission and was appointed to that post on 19.8.1970, he having fulfilled all the prescribed qualifications. The Statistics Department was brought into the fold of Tamil Nadu General Subordinate Service and the following categories of officers were included therein, namely, Statistical Inspectors, Statistical Assistants, Assistant Statistical Investigators, Computers, Supervisors and Junior Draftsman. Regarding the appointment to the post of Assistant Statistic