JUDGMENT :

Vipin Sanghi, J.

These two writ petitions assail the same judgment dated 29.03.2019, passed by the Uttarakhand Public Services Tribunal at Dehradun, in Claim Petition No. 13/DB/2013, preferred by the private respondent nos.5 to 8 in Writ Petition (S/B) No.191 of 2019 (hereinafter referred to as the private respondents). The petitioners in Writ Petition (S/B) No.191 of 2019 were the respondents in the Claim Petition, whose seniority above the private respondents has been disturbed, and the effect the impugned judgment is that the private respondents would be ranked senior to the petitioners. The State of Uttarakhand has also assailed the impugned judgment in Writ Petition (S/B) No.316 of 2020. The Tribunal allowed the said claim petition preferred by the private respondents; set-aside the seniority list dated 29.04.2009; and, the Tribunal also directed the State of Uttarakhand, and its authorities to re-draw the seniority list afresh on the basis of the date of substantive appointment of the persons in the parent department for determining the inter se seniority of the persons who joined the Secretariat services under the mrjk¡py lfpoky; oS;fDrd lgk;d] voj oxZ lgk;d] lgk;d ys[kkdkj] Vadd] vuqlsod ds inksa ij lafofy;u fu;ekoyh, 2002 (hereinafter referred to as the “Absorption Rules, 2002”), (the Tribunal has referred the expression “Amalgamation Rules” for the same). Rule 6 of the Absorption Rules, 2002 is material to determine the present controversy, and the relevant extract from Rule 6 of the said rules, as published in Hindi language, as well as its English translation, (provided by the learned Senior Counsel appearing for the petitioners - which has not been disputed by the learned counsel for the private respondents, and the learned Special Senior Counsel appearing for the State), reads as follows:-

^^6- lafofy;u gsrq 'krksZa dk fu/kkZj.k& ¼1½ lfpoky; esa oS;fDrd lgk;d] voj oxZ lgk;d] lgk;d ys[kkdkj@Vadd@vuqlsod ds in ij lafofy;u ds vkns'k esa bafxr frfFk lEcaf/kr deZpkjh dh lfpoky; esa lEcaf/kr in ij ekSfyd fu;qfDr dh frfFk ekuh tk,xh vkSj ml frfFk ds ckn lEcaf/kr in ij mldh T;s"Brk inkséfr ,oa vU; lsok lEcU/kh ekeys laxr lsok fu;ekoyh ds varxZr O;oàr gksaxsA

¼2½ lafofy;u ds i'pkr deZpkjh dh lfpoky; laoxZ ds lEcaf/kr in ij ikjLifjd T;s"Brk lEcaf/kr laoxZ ds in ij ekSfyd fu;qfDr dh frfFk ds vk/kkj ij fu/kkZfjr djus ds i'pkr lfpoky; lsok ds dfu"Bre deZpkjh ds uhps T;s"Brk lwpkh es j[kk tk,xkA lfpoky; esa lEcaf/kr in ds fo:} lfpoky; laoxZ ds dfu"Bre deZpkjh ds uhps T;s"Brk fu/kkZj.k ds le; ftu deZpkfj;ksa dk fofHké foHkkxksa ds varxZr ,d gh osrueku gksxk mudh T;s"Brk muds ewy foHkkx esa mudh ekSfyd fu;qfDr dh frfFk ls lsok vof/k dh x.kuk ds vk/kkj ij fu/kkZfjr dh tk,xhA

¼3½ jktdh; foHkkxksa ds lsok LFkkukarj.k ij rSukr dkfeZd ds lafofy;u ds i'pkr Hkh ;fn mDr inksa ij lh/kh HkrhZ dh fjfDr;ka miyC/k jgrh gSa rks ml n'kk esa lfpoky; esa lEc} fuxeksa ,oa Lok;r'kklh laLFkkvksa ds ekSfyd :i ls fu;qDr dkfeZd dk lafofy;u fd;k tk;sxkA

¼4½ fuxeksa@Lok;r'kklh laLFkk ds deZpkfj;ksa ds lafofy;u dh n'kk esa mUgsa jktdh; foHkkxksa ds lafoyhu deZpkfj;ksa ds Bhd uhps T;s"Brk lwph esa j[kk tk;sxkA fuxeksa@ Lok;r'kklh laLFkk ds ,d gh osrueku ds lafoyhu deZpkfj;ksa dh ikjLifjd T;s"Brk muds fuxeksa@ Lok;r'kklh laLFkk esa ml osrueku esa ekSfyd fu;qfDr dh frfFk ls mldh lafoyhu dh frfFk rd dh ls vof/k ds vk/kkj ij fu/kkZfjr dh tk,xhA

English Translation:-

6. Determination of conditions for absorption:- (1) The date indicated in the order of absorption on the post of Personal Assistant, Lower Division Assistant/Assistant Accountant/ Typist/ Peon in the Secretariat shall be treated as the date of substantive appointment of the concerned employee on the concerned post in the Secretariat and after that date, the matters relating to his seniority, promotion and other service matters shall be governed as per the concerned service rules.

(2) After absorption, after fixation of the inter se seniority of the employee on the concerned post in Secretariat c