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115+259 IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Date of Decision : 31.08.2026

1. CM-5935-LPA-2026 and CM-5936-LPA-2026 in/and LPA-1549-2026 (O&M)

PEPSU ROAD TRANSPORT CORPORATION ........Appellant VERSUS DALJEET SINGH AND OTHERS ........Respondents

2. CM-5933-LPA-2026 and CM-5934-LPA-2026 in/and LPA-1410-2026 (O&M)

PEPSU ROAD TRANSPORT CORPORATION AND ANOTHER ........Appellants VERSUS JASDEEP SINGH AND OTHERS ........Respondents

3. CM-5947-LPA-2026 and CM-5948-LPA-2026 in/and LPA-1556-2026 (O&M)

PEPSU ROAD TRANSPORT CORPORATION ........Appellant VERSUS ROHI RAM AND OTHERS ........Respondents

4. LPA-1529-2026(O&M)

PEPSU ROAD TRANSPORT CORPORATION ........Appellant VERSUS RAVINDER SINGH AND OTHERS ........Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HARSIMRAN SINGH SETHI HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MINDERJEET YADAV Present: Mr. M.S Bedi , Advocate General, Punjab with Mr. Abhilaksh Gaind, Standing Counsel, PRTC and Mr. Rakesh Roy, Advocate for the appellant in LPA No.1556 of 2026 (O&M).

Mr. Hardeep Singh, Advocate for the appellant in LPA No.1549 of 2026 (O&M).

Mr. Anupam Singla, Advocate for the appellants in LPA No.1410 of 2026 (O&M).

Mr. L.S Sidhu, Advocate for the appellants in LPA No.1529 of 2026 (O&M). Mr. Rajiv Pratap Atma Ram, Senior Advocate with Mr. Arjun Pratap Atma Ram, Advocate and Ms. Shreya Kaushik, Advocate for the private respondents in LPA Nos.1549, 1410 and 1556 of 2026.

Dr. Sumati Jund, Advocate for the respondents in LPA No.1529 of 2026 (O&M).

Mr. Arvind Gupta, Legal Advisor, PEPSU.

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HARSIMRAN SINGH SETHI, J. (Oral)

CM-5935-LPA-2026 in LPA-1549-2026 (O&M), CM-5933-LPA-2026 in LPA-1410-2026 (O&M) and CM-5947-LPA-2026 in LPA-1556-2026 (O&M)

Present applications have been filed for grant of exemption from filing certified copies of Annexures R-1 to R-9.

Keeping in view the contents mentioned in the applications, the same are allowed.

Exempted from filing certified copies of Annexures R-1 to R-9.

CM-5936-LPA-2026 in LPA-1549-2026 (O&M), CM-5934-LPA-2026 in LPA-1410-2026 (O&M) and CM-5948-LPA-2026 in LPA-1556-2026 (O&M)

Present applications have been filed to place on record the additional affidavit of the respondents along with Annexures R-1 to R-9.

Keeping in view the contents mentioned in the applications, the same are allowed.

Additional affidavit of the respondents along with Annexures R-1 to R-9, are taken on record, subject to all just exceptions.

Main cases

1. Present are the bunch of four appeals, the details of which are mentioned in the heading involve common question of law in the context of common set of facts and thus they are being decided by a common order.

2. In the present bunch of appeals, the challenge is to the impugned order dated 22.04.2026 passed by the learned Single Judge in CWP No.5684 of 2026 titled as “Daljeet Singh and ors. versus State of Punjab and others”, by which, a direction has been given to regularise the services of the respondents-employees, who are working through an outsourcing agency, i.e. the private employer.

3. Certain facts needs to be mentioned for the correct appreciation of the issue in hand.

4. It is a conceded fact that, from day one, the respondents have been working through an outsourcing agency i.e. M/s S.S Service Providers, which is a private agency, after such posts were advertised by the private agency. The appointments of the respondents were made by the private agency, though they were posted with the PRTC for performing the duties of the posts, including Drivers, Conductors etc.

5. The respondents who are working in such capacity ultimately filed a writ petition claiming the benefit of regularisation of their services, not in terms of any Policy issued by the State of Punjab, but under the judgment of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India in “Jaggo vs. Union of India 2025 AIR SC 296; Vinod Kumar and others vs. Union of India and ors. (2024) 9 SCC 327; and Shripal and another vs. Nagar Nigam, Ghaziabad 2025 SCC Online SC 221, as well as t