IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA

Reserved on 13.11.2025.

Date of decision: 09.01.2026.

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Yug Raj Thakur and Ors. ...Petitioners.

Vers us

Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited and Ors. …Respondents.

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Coram

Hon’ble Mr. Justice Vivek Singh Thakur, Judge.

Hon’ble Mr. Justice Romesh Verma, Judge.

Wh ether approved for reporting? ¹ Yes

_____________________________________________________________________________ For the Petitioners. Mr. Neeraj Gupta, Senior Advocate, with

Mr. Shubham Sood, Advocate.

For the Respondents: Mr. Anup Rattan, Senior Advocate, with

Mr. Anil Kumar, Advocate, for respondent

No. 1.

Mr. Shrawan Dogra, Senior Advocate, with Mr. Sunny Rawat, Advocate, for

respondents No. 2 to 99.

Mr. K.D. Shreedhar, Senior Advocate, with Ms. Sneh Bhimta, Advocate, for

respondents No. 100 to 134

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1 Whether the reporters of the local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? Yes

Vivek Singh Thakur, Judge Petitioners, working under Supervisor Category with respondent No. 1-Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (in short ‘SJVNL’), have approached this Court, invoking jurisdictio n under Article 226 of Constitution of India, being aggrieveod by issuance of Corporate HR Circular No. 882/2023, dated 29.08.2023 (Annexure P-6) and Corporate HR Circular No. 912/2024, dated 21.05.2024 (Annexure P-7), directing permanent absorption/regularization of Fixed Tenure Appointees (FTA’s) at a higher level tohan the petitioners, claiming it to be contrary to statute and Fixed TCerm Appointment Scheme (FTA Scheme) (Annexure P-5), as well as recruitment advertisement for engagement of FTA’s, i.e., Advertisement No. 95 of 2021 and Advertisement No. 105 of 2022 g[Annexure P-4 (Colly)], issued by the SJVNL. Substantial relief prayed by ithe petitioners, reads as under:-

“A. That a writ of Certiorari or any other appropriate writ order or direction may kindly be issued for quashing and setting aside Corporate HR Circular dated 29.08.2023, contained in Annexure P-6 and Corporate HR Circular dated 21.05.2024, contained in Annexure P-7 and all further and consequential actions/office orders issued in furtherance of Annexures P-6 and P-7, including the office order dated

10.09.2024 contained in Annexure P-8.”

2. Facts emerged from pleadings of the parties and documents filed therewith, including petition, applications, replies to petition and applications and rejoinder thereto, are that respondent NoP. 1-SJVNL is a joint venture of Government of India and Government of Himachal Pradesh, which has laid Horizontal and Vertical Growth and Diversification plans and is developing itself into a fully diversified transnational power company in allo types of conventional and non- conventional forms of energy an d in Power Transmission and for functioning of the company, recruitment in SJVNL, are made on four levels, namely Unskilled Workmen (W1 to W2), Skilled Workman (W3 to W6), Supervisors (S0 to S4) and Executives (E1 to E8).

3. CPetitioners are serving as Supervisors in S1 and S2 stage. They were engaged in the SJVNL, following the procedure prescribed in Direct Recruitment Procedure Manual, formulated and adopted by the SJVNL. Petitioner No. 1 was appointed as Junior Engineer on i27.02.2019, whereas petitioners No. 2 to 7 were appointed on

10.01.2019, whereas petitioner No. 8 was appointed on 28.03.2007 under Workmen Skilled Category and she has reached in the supervised category, among other petitioners. Petitioners No. 1 to 7 were appointed vide advertisement No. 83/2018 (Annexure P-1), dated 30.07.2018 as Junior Engineers and Junior Officers. Petitioners No. 1 to 7 are working as supervisors S2 level and petitioner No. 8 is working as supervisor S1 level. Petitioners are degree holders in their respective fields and some of them possess higher qualificat