Sandeep Mehta, J. - (1.) THE three writ petitions involve a common question and are thus being decided by a single order.
(2.) BY way of the instant writ petitions, the petitioners have prayed for the following relief: - "(i) The action of the respondents engaging the persons on contract basis through placement agency in place of the petitioner may kindly be declared to be arbitrary and illegal and the same kindly be quashed and set aside and they be allowed to continue to work on the post of Consultant/Technical Assistant in National Food Security Mission without any further interruption, with all consequential benefits to them. (ii) Any other relief which this Hon'ble Court deems just and proper in favour of the petitioner, may kindly be granted and (iii) The cost of the writ petition be allowed in favour of the petitioner." The petitioners applied for and were offered a contract under the National Food Security Mission propounded by the Central Government and executed by the State of Rajasthan in pursuance of an advertisement inviting applications vide (Annex.4) dated 15.2.2008. The agreement specified that the services of Consultants, Sr.Technical Assistants and Technical Assistants were required on contractual basis for the execution and operation of the National Food Security Mission. The petitioners claim that in pursuance of the said advertisement, they applied for and were granted contractual basis engagement initially for a period of one year. The said period was extended by another year whereafter, the respondents began looking for replacement of the petitioners with some other candidates to be procured from a placement agency named Hansa.
(3.) UPON this, the petitioners filed the instant writ petitions challenging the proposed termination of their contract.;