Imphal, March 21: Allowing a Special Leave Petition (SLP) filed by the State Govt, the Supreme Court has ruled that the terminated employees in the State Revenue Dept have no right to continue their service.

The apex court made its order on February 20 after setting aside two earlier rulings of the High Court.

The first ruling was passed by a single bench in 1999 which stated that the termination of the employees was illegal as no prior notice was served to the concerned employees.

Again in 2005, a division bench upheld the same order.

Case dossiers said a large number of people were appointed in the Revenue Department in 1998 on the recommendation of the DPC chaired by the then Revenue Commissioner AJ Tayeng.

These appointments were terminated by the State Govt as there was no specific records to show that a DPC was ever held and that no notification was issued for holding such DPC.

Challenging the termination order, the terminated employees filed a writ before a single bench of the High Court after which the latter held the termination illegal as no prior notice was issued to the employees.

The State challenged the single bench ruling by filing a writ appeal before a division bench.

But the division bench upheld the earlier ruling.

After that, the State Government filed the SLP before the Supreme Court.

The apex court headed by SB Sinha and Markandey Katju held that in such nature of the case, the principal of natural justice by giving prior notice before termination to the employees is not required as such exercise could result in futility.

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