MEGHALAYA HIGH COURT ISSUES ORDER ON SHRI. CHESTERFIELD SUJA AND ORS. V/S THE STATE OF MEGHALAYA AND ORS

SHILLONG, India, Feb. 9 -- Meghalaya High Court issued the following judgment/order on Jan. 9:

1. This is an application with a prayer for grant of leave to the applicants herein to prefer a review petition for review of the judgment and order dated 09.12.2025 passed by this Court in MC (WA) No. 90 of 2025 arising out of W.A. No. 77 of 2025.

2. Heard Dr. N. Mozika learned Sr. counsel along with Mr. M.L. Nongpiur for the applicants and Mr. A. Kumar, learned AG along with Mr. S. Sengupta, learned Addl. Sr. GA for the State respondents No.1, 2 and 3 respectively and also Mr. K. Paul, learned Sr. counsel along with Mr. S. Chanda, learned counsel for respondent No.10 (Meghalaya Public Service Commission).

3. It is the submission of the learned Sr. counsel for the applicants that the applicants herein were appointed as Farm Managers/ Inspector and Reeling Foreman in the department of Textiles, Government of Meghalaya in the year 2008 - 2014 on officiating basis.

4. Along with the applicants herein, there are also 6 (six) other incumbents who are identically and similarly situated and these applicants have approached this Court by way of a writ petition being WP (C) No. 493 of 2022 with a prayer inter-alia, for issuance of advertisement for regularisation of their services by way of special recruitment as against the post they are occupying. This petition was disposed of vide order dated 05.09.2023 with a direction to the State respondent to consider the case of the writ petitioners as far as their regularisation is concerned.

5. In the meantime, the said petitioners in WP (C) No. 493 of 2022 has also filed a contempt petition before this Court alleging non-compliance of the Court's order. Before the said contempt case is disposed of, the State respondent has preferred an intra-court appeal against the said Order dated 05.09.2023. The said appeal was registered as WA No. 77 of 2025, the same being accompanied by another application being MC (WA) No. 90 of 2025 with a prayer for condonation of delay.

6. This Court in the division bench has disposed of both the application for condonation of delay and also the main appeal vide the said order dated 09.12.2025 (supra). In the order, at para 7 of the same, this Court has directed the State to expedite the process of finalising and publishing or draft advertisement within 2 (two) weeks from the date of the said order.

7. It is the further submission of the learned Sr. counsel that this Court in the division bench was not informed that the applicants herein had also filed a similar application as was filed by the petitioners in WP (C) No. 493 of 2022, before this Court being registered as WP (C) No. 555 of 2025 and that this Court in the single bench, had vide order dated 04.11.2025 passed an interim order directing that ".... the service of the writ petitioners shall not be disturbed and the respondent shall not issue any advertisement against the vacant post ....". This interim order was directed to be continued until further orders vide order dated 03.12.2025 and the next date fixed for the matter is 04.02.2026.

*Rest of the document can be viewed at: (https://hcservices.ecourts.gov.in/ecourtindiaHC/cases/display_pdf.php?filename=I1mmm2bl4r4EREhYK63KvxMEHghrMc2LK72XIlDU5EIoj3l7Chx016WfD1ACV1Mz&caseno=MC(Review%20Pet.)/1/2026&cCode=1&cino=MLHC010000042026&state_code=21&appFlag=)

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