They further urged that under the Special Rules, as amended on 28.4.1980, only 8 vacancies could be filled up by direct recruitment When the above representation made by them did not elicit any positive reply from the State Government, they instituted Representation Petition No. 508 of 1982 on the file of the Andhra Pradesh Administrative Tribunal for injunction restraining the State Government and the Public Service Commission from recruiting 51 persons as direct recruits to the cadre of Assistant Engineers The petition was opposed by the State Government It pleaded that the amendment made on 28.4 1980 to the Special Rules was only prospective in effect and had no effect on the vacancies which had arisen prior to the date on which the amendment was made and, therefore, it was open to the State Government to fill by direct recruitment 37 1/2 per cent of the total number of vacancies (substantive as well as temporary) in the cadre of Assistant Engineers which had arisen before the amendment.