THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE RAMESH RANGANATHAN WRIT PETITION NO. 20862 OF 1994 DATE: 19-1-2007 Between: Syed Moulana … Petitioner And 1. A.P. State Electricity Board rep. By its Member Secretary, Hyderabad and another … Respondents THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE RAMESH RANGANATHAN WRIT PETITION NO. 20862 OF 1994 ORDER: This writ petition is filed to declare the action of the 2nd respondent in fixing the seniority of the petitioner wrongly, vide integrated provisional seniority list in Memo dated 17.6.1993 instead of maintaining seniority list separately in the cadre of Store Keeper Grade II, as arbitrary and illegal and for a consequential direction to the respondents to maintain separate seniority lists of UDC and Store Keeper Grade II from 23.6.1972 and 29.5.1973 respectively and to regularize the promotion of the petitioner as UDC and Store Keeper Grade II from 23.6.1972 and 29.5.1973. While the petitioner claims that he was converted as Store Keeper, the respondents in their counter affidavit deny that he was converted. According to the respondents, the services of the petitioner, while working as L.D.C, were terminated. Learned Standing Counsel for the respondents would produce a letter dated 21.3.2006 wherein it is stated that the earlier order in Memo dated 30.5.1973 was never implemented and that the petitioner was continued in service as UDC. It is also stated in the counter affidavit that the writ petition is liable to be dismissed on the ground of laches in as much in the writ petition filed in the year 1994, the order of conversion dated 29.5.1973 was sought to be implemented. The respondents would contend that the relief sought for is hopelessly belated and is liable to be dismissed on the ground of laches. I find substantial force in both these contentions. Without going into the disputed question as to whether the petitioner was or was not converted to another cadre, as the order of conversion dated 30.5.1973 is sought to be challenged more than two decades thereafter in the year 1994 and no valid reasons are given for the inordinate delay in seeking such a relief, the writ petition is liable to be dismissed on the ground of laches and is accordingly dismissed. No costs. ____________ 19-1-2007 asp