IN THE HIGH COURT OF KARNATAKA AT BENGALURU DATED THIS THE 19^TH DAY OF FEBRUARY, 2026 BEFORE THE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE H.T. NARENDRA PRASAD WRIT PETITION NO. 54205 OF 2017 (S-RES)

BETWEEN:

1. SRI. K.S. VIJAYANANDA S/O SUBBEGOWDA AGED ABOUT 57 YEARS WORKING AS NON-TECHNICAL GRADUATE OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER NO.6 HEMAVATHI DIVISION, PANDAVAPURA R/AT HEMAVATHI COLONY PANDAVAPURA, MANDYA DISTRICT-571434.

2. SRI C B SHIVARAMU S/O C.S.BETTEGOWDA AGED ABOUT 59 YEARS WORKING AS NON-TECHNICAL GRADUATE OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER NO.9 HEMAVATHI DIVISION, CHINAKURALI PANDAVAPURA TALUK Digitally signed by R/AT CHINAKURALI, PANDAVAPURA TALUK MALATHI MANDYA DISTRICT-571434.

CHALUVA IYENGAR Location: HIGH 3. SIR BYRASHETTY COURTOF S/O BYRASHETTY KARNATAKA AGED ABOUT 58 YEARS WORKING UNSKILLED HEAVY OFFICE OF THE ASST. EXECUTIVE ENGINEER NO.24, HEMAVATHI SUB-DIVISION PANDAVAPURA, R/AT HOSAHUNDI VILLAGE GANAPATHI ASHRAMA POST MYSURU TALUK, MYSURU DISTRICT-570008.

…PETITIONERS (BY SRI. ANANDA K., ADVOCATE)

AND:

1. THE STATE OF KARNATAKA REP. BY ITS CHIEF SECRETARY VIDHANA SOUDHA, BENGALURU-560001.

2. THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER RESOURCES VIKASA SOUDHA, BENGALURU-56001.

REP. BY ITS SECRETARY

3. THE CAUVERY NEERAVARI NIGAMA NIYAMITA, MYSURU-570001 REP. BY ITS MANAGING DIRECTOR.

4. THE CHIEF ENGINEER WATER RESOURCES AND DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY ANANDA RAO CIRCLE BENGALURU-560009.

5. THE CHIEF ENGINEER HEMAVATHI JALASHAYA YOJANE GORURU, HASSAN DISTRICT-573116. 6. THE SUPERINTENDING ENGINEER HEMAVATHI NALA CIRCLE CHANNARAYAPATNA HASSAN DISTRICT-573116.

7. THE EXECUTIVE ENGINEER NO.6, HEMAVATHI LEFT BANK CANAL DIVISION PANDAVAPURA, MANDYA DISTRICT-571434.

…RESPONDENTS (BY SRI.G RAMESH NAIK, AGA FOR R1 & R2:

SRI K S BHEEMAIAH., ADVOCATE FOR R3, R6 & R7:

R4 AND R5 ARE SERVED)

THIS WRIT PETITION IS FILED UNDER ARTICLES 226 AND

227 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA PRAYING TO ISSUE WRIT OF CERTIORARI OR ANY OTHER APPROPRIATE WRIT OR ORDER TO QUASH THE LETTERS/ENDORSEMENTS BEARING NO:

EE/6,HE.L.C.D/PANDAVAPURA/SIBBANDI-1/KDEWA-2012/2017-

18/346, DATED: 15.07.2017 ISSUED BY THE 7TH RESPONDENT AT ANNEXURES-K, L & M AND ETC.

THIS PETITION, COMING ON FOR PRELIMINARY HEARING IN ‘B’ GROUP, THIS DAY, ORDER WAS MADE THEREIN AS UNDER:

CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE H.T. NARENDRA PRASAD

ORAL ORDER

1. In this writ petition, the petitioners have called in question the endorsements dated 15.07.2017 issued by respondent No.7 vide Annexures-K, L and M, whereby their request for regularization of service has been rejected.

2. The case of the petitioners is that petitioner No.1 was initially appointed on 01.08.1984 on daily wage basis in the office of the Executive Engineer, No.5, Hemavathi Left Bank Canal Division, K.R.Pete, petitioner No.2 was initially appointed on 13.08.1984 in the office of the Assistant Executive Engineer, No.27, Hemavathi Left Bank Canal, Jakkanahalli and petitioner No.3 was initially appointed on 26.10.1984 in the office of the Assistant Executive Engineer, No.24, Hemavathi Left Bank Canal, Pandavapura, and from the date of appointment, till their retirement, they have been working continuously as daily wage employees without any break in the service. The further case of the petitioners is that in the year 2001, the petitioners along with similarly situated persons submitted a joint representation dated 07.11.2001 (Annexure–A) seeking regularization of their services. As no action was taken, petitioner No.1 submitted another representation dated 24.10.2001 vide Annexure-B. Pursuant thereto, Respondent No.7–Executive Engineer recommended the case of the petitioner No.1 to Respondent No.6– Superintendent Engineer, vide letter dated 27.02.2008 (Annexure–C), for consideration of regularization. Subsequently, their case was considered under the Karnataka Daily Wage Employees Welfare Act, 2012 (for short, “the Act, 2012”). Thereafter, on 20.06.2017, the petitioners submitted another joint representation along with individual representations stating that instead of extending benefi