Contractual employees granted interim protection against termination and fresh recruitment without preference, mirroring High Court order for similarly placed, pending final adjudication.

ORDER (ORAL)

Hon’ble Mr. R.N. Singh, Member (J)

The captioned OAs are listed for consideration of the applicants’ prayer for grant of interim relief. Despite opportunities, counter reply/short reply is yet to be filed by the respondents.

2. Learned counsels for the applicants submit that unless interim protection is granted in favour of the applicants, the respondents are likely not to continue the applicants on contractual employment after 31^st March, however, in view of the employment notice/walk-in interview dated 15.01.2026, the respondents are likely to engage freshers/outsiders without giving preference to the applicants in the captioned OAs who have already been appointed throughout selection process, of course on contract basis.

3. Mr. Jain, learned counsel for respondent no. 1, i.e. the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) under instructions, submits that respondent no. 1 is only responsible to extend the fund for employment of such contractual employees and engagement/disengagement, conditions of engagement etc. falls under the domain of the remaining respondents. However, learned counsel appearing for the remaining respondents disputes the same in absence of any effective instructions.

4. There is no dispute that similarly placed persons have approached the Hon’ble High Court of Judicature at Bombay Bench at Aurangabad vide Writ Petition No. 2268/2024. Para 3 of the said order dated 18.03.2026 reads as under:

“3. Here, it is to be noted that by order dated 28.02.2024, the petitioners have already been protected. In such circumstances, there is no necessity to pass any fresh order.”

5. Now the matter is listed before the Hon’ble High Court on 06.05.2026. It is not disputed today that the aforesaid interim protection granted to the petitioners in the said Writ Petition is still continuing.

6. Mr. Jain, learned counsel for respondent no. 1, under instructions, further submits that respondent no. 1 has already written to the remaining respondents on 06.02.2026 that they are going to extend the fund for such employment only upto 31.03.2026 and not thereafter. He further submits that the Hon’ble High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Gwalior vide order dated 25.03.2026 has declined grant of interim protection sought by the petitioners therein.

7. We have considered the submissions made by the learned counsels for the parties and with their consent, the OA is taken up for disposal of at this very stage.

8. It is undisputed that the applicants have been working on contract basis and such contractual employment is likely to end after 31.03.2026. It is also undisputed that the respondents have advertised for filling up similar posts on 15.01.2026. Interim order dated 18.03.2026 has been passed by the Hon’ble High Court of Judicature at Bombay Bench at Aurangabad in favour of similarly placed persons which is continuing as of today. Though the learned counsel appearing for respondent no. 1 has submitted that similar protection has been denied by the Hon’ble High Court of Madhya Pradesh at Gwalior vide order dated 25.03.2026, however, he does not dispute that the said order was not brought to notice of the of the Hon’ble High Court of Judicature at Bombay Bench at Aurangabad which passed the aforesaid order dated 18.03.2026.

9. In the facts and circumstances, without going into the merits and with the consent of the learned counsels for the parties, the OAs are disposed of with following orders:

i. If the respondents sh