Bhaskar Bhattacharya, J. - (1.) :- By this writ application, the writ petitioners, 85 Librarians of different Rural sponsored Libararies situated in the District of Midnapore have prayed for quashing of notices dated December 18, 2000 and January 21, 2002 and for direction upon the respondents to make payment of salary as drawn by them in the preceding months of issue of such notices.
(2.) The following facts are not in dispute : (a) The petitioners were appointed as Rural Librarian sometime during years 1981-1983 in the Rural Libraries in the District of Midnapore. (b) As per conditions laid down in appointment letter, the petitioners were required to undergo training in Library Science course for the purpose of serving in the library within three years from the date of joining on his own initiative or on deputation. For their training the petitioners would have no further financial claim except pay and allowances as mentioned in the appointment letter and that was also for one chance only. (c) The employees would not be entitled to any increment in pay scale until and unless he successfully completed such training. It appears from the record that the District Social Education Officer, Midnapore, arranged camp training for Librarianship Certificate and the petitioners joined the said camp training by depositing Rs. 25/- each. Ultimately, on the basis of the said certificate, the petitioners were given incremental benefit and received such benefit for the last 10 to 18 years. (d) In the year 1987, the petitioners were deputed to undergo training for Library Science and the petitioners joined the said training and obtained certificates from the training centre. (e) In the year 2000 Deputy Secretary, Mass Education Extension Department, issued Memo dated 18th December, 2000 to the Director of Library Services, West Bengal, informing that by virtue of the short term training already received by the applicants they were not entitled to get incremental benefit and ultimately, the District Library Officer, Midnapore, by Memo dated 21st January, 2002 acted on the basis of such Memo and decided to refix the salary of the petitioners from the month of January, 2002.
(3.) Those two orders have been challenged by the petitioners in this writ application.;