N.N.TIWARI, J. - (1.) IN this writ petition the petitioner has prayed for quashing the Office Order No. 17/06 issued by Memo No. 181 dated 2.3.2006 whereby the petitioner's contractual appointment to the post of Law Officer in Ranchi Regional Development Authority (R.R.D.A.) for the period from 1.1.2006 to 31.12.2006 has been terminated. The grievance of the petitioner is that before expiry of the said period of contract the petitioner was surprisingly and suddenly sought to be terminated by the impugned order without giving him any prior notice or opportunity of hearing.
(2.) THE only ground raised by learned Counsel for the petitioner is that when the petitioner was given contractual appointment for the period from 1.1.2006 to 31.12.2006 or until the regular appointment of the Law Officer, the petitioner's sudden termination without giving him any prior notice and opportunity of hearing is wholly arbitrary, unfair and without jurisdiction. It has been submitted that the impugned order is, thus, vitiated being violative of the principles of natural justice. Learned Counsel appearing on behalf of the R.R.D.A., on the other hand, submitted that since the petitioner was given appointment on contract basis by virtue of the order being Memo No. 21 dated 10.1.2006 as contained in Annexure -20, the same has been subsequently reviewed and the impugned order has been passed. It has been submitted that for the said contractual appointment of the petitioner, no notice was required to be served on the petitioner before terminating his appointment and the impugned order is not bad and illegal.
(3.) THE admitted position is that the petitioner was appointed on contract basis for the first time in January 2006 and subsequently by different orders he was allowed to work with breakage. By Memo No. 21 dated 10.1.2006, the R.R.D.A. through its Vice -chairman issued an Office Order No. 2/06 whereby the petitioner was appointed as Law Officer for the period from 1.1.2006 to 31.12.2006. The petitioner had joined and was working on the said post. Since the contract was till 31.12.2006, it was legitimate expectation of the petitioner that he will be allowed to continue till 31.12.2006. Indeed, the sudden termination of the petitioner has visited him with civil consequences. It is now well established that any action of the State or its instrumentality must be fair, bona fide and equitable and that the petitioner cannot be put to suffer any civil consequence without complying with the principles of natural justice and without giving him any prior notice and opportunity of hearing before issuing the impugned order of his termination.;