IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT MADRAS

DATED : 11.11.2025

CORAM:

THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE G.K.ILANTHIRAIYAN

W.P.Nos.2636, 2642, 2645, 2647, 2649, 2650, 2651, 2652, 2654, 2655,

2656, 2657, 2658, 2672, 2674, 2675, 2676, 2677, 2680, 2698, 2679,

2683, 2684, 2686, 2688, 2690, 2692, 2694, 2696 of 2025

and

W.M.P.Nos.2948, 2949, 2953, 2954, 2956, 2957, 2959, 2963, 2967, 2968, 2969 to 2972, 2974 to 2978, 2982 to 2985, 2961, 2962, 2979, 3003, 3004,

3007, 3008, 3012 to 3015, 3017, 3018, 3019, 3021 to 3039 of 2025

W.P.No.2636 of 2025 :-

V.Mani ... Petitioner

Vs.

1. The Government of Tamil Nadu

Rep. by Additional Chief Secretary to Government,

Rural Development and

Panchayat Raj Department,

Secretariat, Chennai – 600 009.

2. The Director of Rural Development

and Panchayat Raj, Chennai – 600 015.

3. The District Collector,

Dharmapuri District,

Dharmapuri.

4. The Project Director cum

Member Secretary,

Dharmapuri District Socio Economic

Development Society,

Dharmapuri.

5. The Secretary, Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission, TNPSC Road, Park Town, Chennai. ... Respondents Prayer : Writ Petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution of India for issuance of a Writ of Certiorarified Mandamus, calling for the records relating to the impugned order passed by the first respondent by his proceedings in Government Letter No.4054/PaA5/2024-1 dated 23.08.2024 and quahs the same as illegal and arbitrary and consequently directing the respondents to absorb the petitioner in the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department and to regularize the service of the petitioner from the date of his appointment in the Dharmapuri District Development Corporation Ltd., in the light of the orders passed in G.O.Ms.No.57, RD & PR (E5) Department dated 20.06.2013 and G.O.Ms.No.100 Rural Development & PR Department dated 02.09.2016 and in the light of the Communication of the third respondent in his proceedings in Na.Ka.No.212/2016/R.14 dated 04.05.2021 with all consequential benefits including retirement and pensionary benfits with arrears.

For Petitioner : Mr.B.Saravanan, Senior Counsel For M/s. Saravana Associates For Respondents For R1 to R3 : Mr.Yogesh Kannadasan Special Government Pleader For R4 : Mr.Stalin Abhimanyu Additional Government Pleader For R5 : Mr.B.Vijay Standing Counsel

COMMON ORDER

These Writ Petitions have been filed challenging the orders passed by the Government of Tamil Nadu, thereby rejecting the request made by the petitioners to absorb them in the Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department and also to regularise their service from the date of their initial appointment in the Dharmapuri District Development Corporation Limited.

2. The issues involved in all these Writ Petitions are similar in nature and therefore this Court is inclined to pass a common order. The parties are referred to as per their ranking in W.P.No.2636 of 2025.

3. The Government of Tamil Nadu passed an order in G.O.Ms.No.672, Rural Development and Local Administration Department dated 15.04.1975 and ordered to constitute a company designated as the Dharmapuri District Development Corporation Limited (hereinafter referred to as “DDDCL”), under the Companies Act, 1956. After constitution of the DDDCL, the petitioners were temporarily appointed in various posts from the year 1975. Subsequently, most of the petitioners were promoted to the post of Junior Engineer and subsequently, promoted as Assistant Executive Engineer. Thereafter, they were retired from service due to attainment of age of superannuation even in the year 2014 itself. In the meantime, the Government of Tamil Nadu passed order in G.O.Ms.No.14, Rural Development (SGSY) Department dated 21.01.2000, thereby directing the second reapondent to windup the DDDCL immediately and to establish District Rural Development Agency in its place.

4. Thereafter, the third respondent requested the first respondent to pass orders for absorbing the employees of the DDDCL as government servants with protection of pay and service counting for pensio