JUDGMENT

This writ petition is preferred challenging Ext.P10 order dated 28.07.2017, whereby the petitioners were denied the benefit of stepping up of pay at par with juniors on the ground that the chain action of stepping up is not permissible under the provisions of Circular No.WR-09-2006-05 dated 01.05.2006.

2. It is the case of the petitioners that the 1^st petitioner was initially appointed as Technical Assistant Grade III in the year 1976 and was subsequently promoted as Technical Assistant Grade I in the year 1982. His seniority as Assistant Grade I (Technical) was fixed as Sl. No.111, and that of the 2^nd petitioner as Sl. No.105, in the seniority list of Assistant Grade I (Technical), as on 30.06.1999. Both the petitioners retired from service on 30.04.2011 and 31.07.2012, respectively. The petitioners had already approached this Court on an earlier occasion, to point out certain anomalies, following a representation submitted to the official respondents, dated 30.07.2003. However, the same was not considered for a considerable period of time. In the meanwhile, certain juniors to the petitioners were granted the benefit of stepping up of pay, as is evident from Exts. P2 and P5