Tejinder Singh Dhindsa.J - (1.) The petitioners have preferred the present writ petition under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India praying for the issuance of a writ in the nature of Mandamus for directing the respondents for reallocation in the Punjab Civil Services (Executive Branch) & other Allied Services in terms of their preferences submitted and as per merit determined in pursuance to the Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination, 2009.
(2.) The Punjab Public Service Commission issued an advertisement dated 26.11.2009 inviting applications for recruitment to 143 vacancies to the Punjab Civil Services (Executive Branch) & other Allied Services to be filled up through the Punjab State Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination, 2009. In terms of addendum issued on 21.12.2009 by the Commission the number of vacancies of the Excise & Taxation Officers were increased from 37 to 74. It has been asserted that the total number of vacancies having gone up to 180, 85 vacancies fell to the share of general category in the Punjab Civil Services (Executive Branch) & Other Allied Services.
(3.) The petitioners, who all belong to the general category and were eligible in terms of the eligibility conditions prescribed in the advertisement applied for the competitive examination and cleared the preliminary as also main examination. In terms of the result declared by the Commission the names of the petitioners appeared at rank nos. 78, 75, 76, 79 and 80 respectively. As per the ranking/merit determined by the Commission all the petitioners stand allocated as Employment Generation & Training Officers.;