Dr. B. S. Chauhan and Dilip Gupta, JJ.—This Special Appeal has been filed against the interim order dated 27.7.2004 passed by a learned Judge of this Court in Writ Petition No. 27700 of 2004. While entertaining the petition, the Court had granted time to the respondents to file a counter-affidavit and also directed that in the meanwhile status quo with regard to the service of the petitioners and respondent No. 6 as prior to the passing of the impugned order dated 1.7.2004 shall be maintained and they shall be permitted to continue to work if they were already working prior to that date. It was further ordered that the question regarding payment of their salary shall be considered on the next date. The petition was directed to be listed in the week commencing 31st August, 2004.

2. The writ petition, out of which the present special appeal arises, had been filed for quashing the order dated 1.7.2004, passed by the Joint Director of Education, Agra, by which he had declined to grant approval to the appointments of the petitioners on the post of Assistant Teacher in the L. T. grade in the Chaharwati Inter College, Akola, district Agra (hereinafter referred to as the ‘College’)