JUDGMENT :

(Ahanthem Bimol Singh, J.) :

[1] Heard Mr. L. Raju, learned counsel appearing for the petitioner and Mr. A. Vashum, learned Government Advocate appearing for the respondents.

[2] The present writ petition had been filed with the prayer for quashing the impugned order dated 30-06-2017 issued by the Principal Secretary, Education (S), Government of Manipur thereby rejecting the claim of the petitioner for payment of her pay and allowances for the period from 01-04-2001 till 29-12-2016 coupled with the prayer for directing the respondents to release the petitioner’s pay and allowances for the period from 01-04-2001 till 29-12-2016 within a stipulated period.

[3] The brief facts of the present case is that the petitioner was initially appointed as Craft Instructor (Pottery) in the Directorate of Education (S), Government of Manipur on ad-hoc basis for a period of six months by an order dated 01-07-1998 issued by the Director of Education (S), Government of Manipur. The period of ad-hoc service of the petitioner was extended from time to time till 31-03-2001 by issuing various orders with the approval of the Government. It is to be pointed out here that the extension of the period of ad-hoc service of the petitioner was done ex-post facto, for example, the ad-hoc service of the petitioner for the period from 01-04-1999 to 30-09-1999 was extended by issuing an order only on 06-12-2005 by the Commissioner of Education(S), Government of Manipur. So also the ad-hoc service of the petitioner for the period from 01-10-1999 to 31-03-2000, 01-04-2000 to 30-09-2000 and 01-10-2000 to 31-03-2001 was extended ex-post facto by issuing orders dated 04-08-2006, 20-10-2006 and 10-01-2007 respectively by the Commissioner of Education (S), Government of Manipur.

[4] When the ad-hoc service of the petitioner was not extended after 31-03-2001 and as the service of the petitioner was utilized by the Government, the Zonal Education Officer, Zone-II wrote a letter dated 22-09-2008 to the Director of Education (S), Government of Manipur requesting the latter for extending the ad-hoc service of the petitioner w.e.f. 01-04-2001 to 31-12-2008 and for payment of her back-wages/ salary. When the Government failed to extend the ad-hoc service of the petitioner and to release her back-wages/salary, the Zonal Education Officer, Zone-II again wrote a letter dated 09-07-2010 addressed to the Director of Education (S), Government of Manipur with the request for extension of the ad-hoc service of the petitioner w.e.f. 01-04-2001 till the date of the said letter.

[5] On 14-02-2011, the Additional Director of Education (S/V) wrote a letter to the Commissioner of Education (S), Government of Manipur, requesting for extension of the ad-hoc service of the petitioner w.e.f. 01-04-2001 till the date of the said letter. In response to the said letter dated 14-02-2011, the Deputy Secretary, Education (S), Government of Manipur wrote a letter dated 24-03-2011 requesting the Additional Director of Education (S/V) to submit certain information in connection with the proposal for extension of the ad-hoc service of the petitioner. In response to this letter, the Additional Director of Education (S/V) wrote a letter dated 21-04-2011 to the Deputy Secretary, Education (S) stating, inter alia, that there are only ten ad-hoc employees, including the present petitioner, whose ad-hoc service have not been extended and that the period of their ad-hoc service to be extended varies as per their last date of extension. In the said letter, the Additional Director of Education (S/V) also made a request for extension of the term of ad-hoc service