P.B. Bajanthri, J. - (1.) The instant writ petition presented by the Registered Association called All India LIC SMEs Group/Association (Registered) (hereinafter referred as "Association").
(2.) The Association have prayed for writ of prohibition restraining respondents from terminating the services of the members of the petitioner-Association by taking recourse to unfair terms and conditions imposed in the engagement letter dated 12.4.2010 (Annexure P-5), particularly Clause 2 and 4, direction to the respondents to absorb/regularize the services of the members of the petitioner-Association as employees of the LIC and direction to the respondents to pay the members of the petitioner-Association minimum of regular pay scale from the date of engagement.
(3.) Respondent-Life Insurance Corporation of India (hereinafter referred as "LIC") in the Minutes of 537th Meeting of LIC held on 5.12.2008, the Board considered and authorised the Chairman to work out and administer the Scheme relating to recruitment in the cadre of Administrative Officer/Branch Manager (contractual appointments) with reference to competitors to LIC have resorted to manning insurance channels by poaching from other organisations or going for very aggressive recruitment drives at senior levels, the LIC have tried to place marketing officials in these channels through promotion and job rotation from internal resources with reference to experience of LIC they are not getting adequate number of officers who are able to manage the challenges offered by the other organisations. In the meeting there was a proposal to take about 100 people initially in the cadre of Branch Manager on contractual basis. The number may be increased subsequently based on the experience. The initial period of contract would be for 3 years etc. Pursuant to the authorisation by the Board, LIC formulated a scheme called "LIC of India Senior Marketing Executives (On Contract Basis) Scheme, 2009 (hereinafter referred as "Scheme 2009").;