IN THE HIGH COURT OF KERALA AT ERNAKULAM PRESENT : THE HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE K.BALAKRISHNAN NAIR FRIDAY, THE 15TH JUNE 2007 / 25TH JYAISHTA 1929 WP(C).No. 335 of 2005(M) --------------------------------- PETITIONER: ------------------ T.SURESH, SR.GRADE PRINTER, GOVERNMENT PRESS, SHORANUR. BY ADV. SRI.P.RAVINDRAN RESPONDENTS: --------------------- 1. DIRECTOR OF PRINTING, GOVERNMENT CENTRAL PRESS, THIRUVANANTHAPURAM. 2. C.K.SOMANATHAN, PRINTER, GOVERNMENT PRESS, SHORANUR. BY GOVERNMENT PLEADER SRI. P.NANDAKUMAR THIS WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) HAVING BEEN FINALLY HEARD ON 15/06/2007, THE COURT ON THE SAME DAY DELIVERED THE FOLLOWING: WP(C) NO: 335/2005 M APPENDIX PETITIONER'S EXHIBITS EXT.P1. COPY OF THE ORDER DT. 12/07/90. EXT.P2. COPY OF THE GRADATION LIST UPTO 1/1/94. EXT.P3. COPY OF THE JUDGMENT IN WA NO. 1510/00D T. 11/11/02. EXT.P4. COPY OF THE GO DT. 12/12/68. EXT.P5. COPY OF THE RELEVANT EXTRACT OF THE LIST DT. 23/08/2003. EXT.P6. COPY OF THE OBJECTION. EXT.P7. COPY OF THE COMMUNICATION DT. 28/10/03. EXT.P8. COPY OF THE RELEVANT EXTRACT OF THE FINAL SENIORITY LIST DT. 29/7/2004. True copy tga K.BALAKRISHNAN NAIR, J. ------------------------------ W.P.(C) No. 335 OF 2005-M ------------------------------------- Dated this the 15th day of June, 2007. J U D G M E N T The petitioner entered service as Printer Grade II (Printer Lower Division), as per appointment order dated 10-6-1988 at the Government Press, Kozhikode. Later, on his request, he was given inter-district transfer to Government Press, Shornur, on 21-7-1990. This writ petition is filed by him, challenging Ext.P8 seniority list, in which he was assigned seniority only with effect from the date he joined at Shornur. According to him, all the Government Presses constitute a single unit and therefore their seniority has to be fixed State wise. There is no separate seniority list for the district or for individual Government Presses. So, he will not lose seniority on inter- district transfer, it is submitted. This point is raised as ground No. 'C' in the writ petition. But, the respondents would submit that for various posts mentioned in Rule 4 of the Special Rules for Kerala Government Presses Subordinate Service, the district is the unit of appointment. The selection was also made on district wise basis by the District office of the Public Service Commission. It will be evident from the note under Rule 4 of the Special Rules, that the recruitment WPC No.335 of 2005 2 to certain posts is to be made on a district wise basis. One of the posts included under the said note is Printer Lower Division which is now re-designated as Printer Grade-II. Going by the note under Rule 4, the claim of the petitioner is plainly unsustainable. So, the challenge against Ext.P8 seniority list is repelled and the Writ Petition is dismissed. K.BALAKRISHNAN NAIR, JUDGE. MS