AI Structured Summary
Not yet generated for this judgment
Judgment
Ahanthem Bimol Singh, J
Heard Mr. M. Hemchandra, learned senior counsel assisted by Mr. Rendy Maibam, learned counsel appearing for the petitioners; and Mr. B.P. Sahu, learned senior counsel assisted by Ms. Jyotibala, learned counsel appearing for respondent Nos. 1 & 2; and Mr. S. Jasobanta, learned counsel appearing for respondent No. 3.
In view of the limited prayer made on behalf of the petitioners and as agreed to by all the learned counsel appearing for the parties, the present writ petition is disposed of at the motion stage itself.
It has been submitted by the learned senior counsel appearing for the petitioners that all the petitioners are serving on contract or daily wager basis in Manipur University on different capacities for the last about more than 10 years and while serving as such, they crossed the maximum age limit prescribed under the Rules for applying against the advertised posts issued by the Manipur University on 13.05.2025. The learned senior counsel further submitted that the petitioners and others submitted a representation dated 21.05.2025 to the Vice Chancellor of the Manipur University with a request for relaxing their upper age limit so as to enable them to apply for the said advertised posts and to allow them to compete with other eligible candidates. However, the said representation is still pending for consideration. The learned senior counsel, further, submitted that the present petitioners will be satisfied for the time being if the present writ petition is disposed of by giving liberty to the petitioners to submit a fresh representation within 3(three) days to the competent authority of the Manipur University for redressing their grievances and by directing the competent authority of the Manipur University to consider the said representation on merit and to dispose of the same by issuing a speaking order within a stipulated period.
Mr. B.P. Sahu, learned senior counsel appearing for the Manipur University, fairly submitted that as the prayer made on behalf of the petitioners is confined to the consideration and disposal of the representation submitted by the petitioners, he has no objection in disposing of the writ petition as prayed for on behalf of the petitioners.
Considering the submissions advanced by the learned counsel appearing for the parties, this Court is of the considered view that it will be in the interest of justice to issue the following directions:-
i) Petitioners or any person similarly situated with them are given liberty to file a detailed representation to the competent authority of the Manipur University for redressing their grievances within a period of 3(three) days from today;
ii) In the event of filing such a representation within the stipulated period, the competent authority of the Manipur University is directed to consider the said representation on its own merit and strictly in terms of the applicable rules and to dispose of the same by issuing a speaking order;
iii) The consideration and disposal of the said representation should be completed within a period of 3(three) weeks from the date of receipt of the said representation; and
iv) It is made clear that if the petitioners fail to submit a fresh representation within 3(three) days from today, the authority of the Manipur University is directed to consider and dispose of the representation dated 21.05.2025 submitted earlier by the petitioners by issuing a speaking order.
With the aforesaid directions, the present writ petition is disposed of.