- (1.) SINCE the issues involved in all these writ petitions are common, they are heard together and with the consent of the counsel for the parties, are being disposed of by this order at the stage of admission itself.
(2.) CHALLENGE in these writ petitions is to the order dated 29.11.2007 passed by the respondent - Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribagh whereby the claim of the petitioners for payment of their annual increment from 1.1.1996 till the date of their respective retirement, has been rejected. Petitioners were appointed as Lecturers in various Faculties in different Constituent Colleges, of the Ranchi University. They were confirmed on the posts of Lecturers and were later promoted to the posts of Readers with effect from the dates notified for them separately. Such promotion was confirmed by order of the Vice - Chancellor of the Ranchi University. Subsequently, they were promoted to the post of University Professor with effect from the dates notified.
(3.) THE colleges in which the petitioners were employed, came subsequently within the jurisdiction of Vinoba Bhave University, Hazaribagh. The petitioners continued teaching in their respective departments of the concerned colleges. All the petitioners, except Sri Purushottam Dubey, (petitioner in WPS No. 1477 of 2008) who retired from service on 31.1.2003, the rest of the petitioners had retired from service in between January, 1998 to October, 2000.;