IN THE HIGH COURT OF HIMACHAL PRADESH, SHIMLA CWP (T) No.11478 of 2008 Date of decision : September 6, 2011 Inder Singh …Petitioner. Versus State of H.P. and others …Respondents. Coram The Hon’ble Mr. Justice Surjit Singh, Judge. Whether approved for reporting?1 For the Petitioner : Mr. Dalip K Sharma, Advocate. For the Respondents : Mr. Ramesh Thakur, Assistant Advocate General. Surjit Singh, Judge(Oral) Petitioner was recruited as a Forest Guard by a Project, known as Indo German Dhauladhar Project, Palampur, in the year 1982. The Project was shut down in the year 1989 and the petitioner, alongwith other similarly situated persons, was reappointed as Forest Guard, in the Forest Department of the State of Himachal Pradesh. He was assigned seniority from 1989, when he was reappointed as Forest Guard, in the Forest Department. He claims seniority from the date he was appointed as Forest Guard by the Indo German Dhauladhar Project and also claims benefit of ACP, by counting his service from 1982, when he was recruited, in connection with the aforesaid Project. Whether reporters of the local papers may be allowed to see the judgment? …2… 2. Writ petition is opposed by the respondents, i.e. the functionaries of the Forest Department. Their plea is that the petitioner was appointed afresh in the year 1989, after the closing down of the Project and, therefore, he is to be treated as an employee of the Forest Department from the date he was appointed in the said Department. 3. I have heard learned counsel for the parties and gone through the record. 4. Indo German Dhauladhar Project was not a department of the Government or an extension of the Forest Department of the State of Himachal Pradesh. Petitioner was appointed as Forest Guard of the Project only and when the Project was closed down, he had no right to be treated as an employee of the Forest Department. However, with a view to helping the petitioner and other similarly situated persons, the Government took a decision to appoint the petitioner and other persons, as Forest Guards, in the Forest Department. Thus, appointment of the petitioner and other persons, in the Forest Department, was a fresh appointment. Decision was taken by the Government, in consultation with the Finance Department, that the employees of Indo German Dhauladhar Project, who had been absorbed in the Forest Department, would be …3… assigned seniority at the bottom, as fresh entrants and they were not to be given any credit, even for the leave already earned by them, while working as employees of the Project. Reference in this behalf may be made to Annexure R-2. In view of the abovestated position, writ petition is dismissed. Pending application(s), if any, also stand disposed of. September 6, 2011(sd) ( Surjit Singh ), J