IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Civil Writ Petition No.17385 of 2010 Date of Decision : September 27, 2010. Manohar Lal Driver .....Petitioner versus The Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd., Patiala and others .....Respondents CORAM : HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE SURYA KANT. Present : Mr.P.C.Rakra, Advocate, for the petitioner. -.- 1. Whether Reporters of Local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? 2. To be referred to the Reporters or not? 3. Whether the judgment should be reported in the Digest? --- Surya Kant, J. (Oral) The petitioner, who is working as a driver in the respondent- Corporation on work-charge basis w.e.f. 23.7.1986, seeks a mandamus to direct the respondents for regularization of his services. It is averred that the petitioner is uninterruptly working since his appointment from the last more than 24 years which also establishes that the job offered to the petitioner is regular in nature. It is further averred that the services of respondent No.6-Basant Singh, who is allegedly junior to the petitioner, have already been regularised w.e.f. 30.12.1997. On the other hand, no decision with regard to regularization of the petitioner's services has been taken even though his claim is covered under the policies issued by the C.W.P.No .17385 of 2010 2 Punjab Government from time to time. The petitioner has put-forth his claim by way of a legal notice dated 5.9.2009 (Annexure P-1) also followed by a reminder dated 1.2.2010 (Annexure P-3) and in response thereto, the process for regularization of services of the petitioner was initiated as is evident from the communications, especially dated 28.5.2010 (Annexure P5) sent by the Chief Engineer, CD & C Division, Patiala to the Deputy Chief Engineer, Operation, Halka, Jallandhar, but no formal order of regularization of services of the petitioner has been passed so far. Having heard learned counsel for the petitioner at some length, prima-facie, it appears that the petitioner cannot be kept as a work- charge employee for the entire length of his service. The respondents are, thus, under an obligation to take a conscious decision as per the previous policies/circulars regarding regularization of services of the petitioner in a time bound manner. The writ petition is accordingly disposed of with a direction to respondent Nos.1 & 2 to consider the claim of the petitioner for regularization of his services, as also contained in the legal notices dated 5.9.2009 & 1.2.2010 and dispose of the same by passing a speaking order, preferably within a period of three months from the date of receiving a certified copy of this order. Ordered accordingly. Dasti. September 27, 2010 (SURYA KANT) Mohinder JUDGE