Shillong, June 12: The High Court of Meghalaya has suspended the KHADC order of cancelling the regularisation of 30 casual employees.
The Voice of the People Party (VPP)-led executive committee had on May 30, 2025 revoked the regularisation of services of 30 casual employees.
The May 30 order had stated that regularisation of their services has been revoked with effect from June 1, as the same has been done de hors the applicable rules. However, the casual appointment shall continue.
Aggrieved by the order, 26 employees have approached the court for its intervention.
After hearing their petition, the single bench headed by Justice B. Bhattacharjee said, “In view of the above, at this juncture, it is deemed appropriate to suspend the operation of the impugned Office Order No.3 57 dated 30.05.2025 till the returnable date.”
One of the aggrieved employees, Banrikupar Suting had prayed for stay of the impugned Office Order No.3 57 dated 30.05.2025 passed by the opposite party No.2 by which the regularization of service of the applicant as Enforcement Constable was revoked and he was reverted back as a casual enforcement constable.
The order said it transpires from the submissions made on behalf of the rivalparties and the materials on record that the applicant was appointed as a casual employee vide Office Order No. 528‘B’ dated 01 .0 6.2019.
After completion of about 5 years of service as a casual enforcement constable, vide Office Order No. 585 dated 14 .0 8.2024, the service of the applicant was regularized as Enforcement Constable on the basis of the decision of the Executive Committee of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC). However, by the impugned Office Order No. 357 dated 30.05.2025, the regularization of the applicant as process server was revoked and he was reverted back as a casual enforcement constable.
“The impugned Office Order, prima facie , does not indicate that the applicant was issued with a notice or provided with any opportunity of hearing before the decision to revoke his regularization as process server was made,” the bench said.
“Although , in the impugned Office Order, the regularization of service of the applicant dehors the applicable rule was stated to be the reason for revocation of regularization of service of the applicant, nothing specific has been spelt out to indicate as to what particular aspect of the applicable rule was not adhered to while regularizing the service of the applicant,” it said
On June 3, KHADC chief Shemborlang Rynjah informed that his EC has terminated the services of 13 newly appointed employees and revoked the regularisation of services of 30 casual employees after they were appointed without any sanctioned posts.
