B.D. Agarwal, J. - (1.) All the aforesaid three writ petitions are being disposed of by this common order since one and the same question of law is involved and the facts of the three cases are also identical.
(2.) Heard Shri K.S. Kynjing, learned senior counsel assisted by Shri S.M. Suna, learned counsel for the petitioners. Also heard Shri S.R. Sen, learned senior counsel assisted by Mrs. P.D.B. Baruah, learned counsel for the respondent No. 1, i.e., Meghalaya Legislative Assembly and Shri N.D. Chullai, learned senior GA to the State of Meghalaya.
(3.) The factual matrix of all the three writ petitions are that the petitioners, 179 in numbers, were appointed in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Secretariat on temporary basis in different posts. The appointments were made during the period September 2007 to January 2008. In the month of March 2008, there was a change of political guard inasmuch as, a new political party came into power. The Assembly also got a now Speaker. After the change over, the Assembly in its administrative side terminated the services of as many as 199 temporary employees vide impugned order dated 30.4.2008. Out of these retrenched employees, 179 employees have filed the instant writ petitions in three groups on the same ground. In the writ petitions, the petitioners are seeking issuance of a writ in the nature of certiorari so as to quash the termination orders as well as in the nature of mandamus to direct the respondent No. 1 to allow the petitioners to continue in their respective services.;