- (1.) These appeals arise out of the judgments and orders dated 9-11-2000 and 20-11-2000 passed by the High Court of Karnataka at Bangalore in Writ Appeal Nos. 2756-57 of 2000 and 2759 of 2000 respectively whereby and whereunder the appeals preferred by the Appellants herein against the orders dated 14-2-2000 and 15-2-2000 passed by the learned single Judge of the said Court in several writ petitions were dismissed.
(2.) The Respondents were originally employed on daily wages in relation to a Scheme known as 'Kriya Scheme' aimed at providing drinking water and construction of roads for the benefit of the rural poor in the District of Gulbarga in the State of Karnataka. The employment allegedly commenced in the year 1993. The services of the Respondents were terminated in 1996. They filed writ petitions before the Karnataka High Court contending, inter alia, that as they having worked for a number of years, became entitled for regularization. It was furthermore contended that they had still been in service. The prayers made in the said writ petitions which are relevant for our purpose are as under: "a) Issue a writ of mandamus order or direction directing Respondents Nos. 2 and 3 to regularization (sic for regularize) the service of the petitioner No.1 to the post of Assistant Engineer in the pay scale of Rs. 2050/- with allowance, the petitioner Nos.2 and 3 as Junior Engineers in the pay scale of Rs.1520/- and allowance. b) Issue a writ in the nature of mandamus, order or direction not to discontinue the service of the petitioners and to direct payment of arrears of salary from September 1996 onwards and also to pay difference of arrears of salary to the petitioners from the date of completion of 240 days to grant all service benefits as are applicable to regular employees like seniority, promotion, increments, allowance etc."
(3.) The said writ petitions came up for consideration before a learned single Judge of the Karnataka High Court.;