Dipankar Datta, J. - (1.) While hearing the interlocutory applications filed in these four intra-Court appeals, we had to necessarily look into the judgments and orders under challenge. Having read the same, we found that all these appeals involving common factual and legal questions arise out of orders dismissing the writ petitions on the ground of delay and laches. We heard the parties on the merits of the appeals dispensing with all formalities and propose to dispose of the same by this common judgment and order together with the interlocutory applications.
(2.) The appeals being FMA 2720 of 2015, FMA 2721 of 2015, FMA 2729 of 2015 and MAT 1589 of 2013 are directed against separate judgments and orders dated January 15, 2014, January 15, 2014, September 4, 2013 and September 24, 2013 respectively, passed by the self-same learned Judge of this Court.
(3.) The basic facts are not in dispute. The District Primary School Council, South 24 Parganas (hereafter the DPSC) had requisitioned names of eligible candidates from the relevant employment exchanges on January 9, 2006 for filling up almost 3000 vacant posts of assistant teachers in primary schools under its jurisdiction. A written examination was conducted on December 20, 2009 whereafter a panel of suitable candidates was published sometime in 2010. The panel was valid till August 31, 2012. Along with the names of other eligible candidates, the names of the appellants were sponsored by the employment exchanges with which their names had been registered. The appellants claimed that despite they having secured more marks than the last appointed candidate from the category to which each of them belong, appointments were not offered to them. Feeling aggrieved, they had the occasion to invoke the jurisdiction of this Court under Article 226 of the Constitution.;