IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB & HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH Civil Writ Petition No.406 of 2010 (O&M) Date of Decision : 13.01.2010 Joginder Singh and others .....Petitioners versus State of Punjab and another .....Respondents CORAM : HON'BLE MR.JUSTICE SURYA KANT. Present : Mr.Girish Agnihotri, Senior Advocate, with Mr.Arvind Seth, Advocate, for the petitioners. Ms.Charu Tuli, Senior Deputy Advocate General, Punjab -.- 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? --- ORDER Surya Kant, J. (Oral) Notice of motion . Ms.Charu Tuli, Senior Deputy Advocate General, Punjab, accepts notice on behalf of the respondents. In view of the nature of the order which I propose to pass, there is no necessity to file counter reply on behalf of the respondents at this stage. The petitioners who are working as Naib Tehsildars in Patiala Division, seek quashing of the seniority list dated 20.5.2008 (Annexure C.W.P.No .406 of 2010 (O&M) 2 P-4) which, according to them, has been circulated without inviting objections and/or without giving any opportunity of hearing to them. The petitioners' grievance is that earlier the seniority list of Naib Tehsildars of Patiala Division was finalized vide order dated 21.4.2008 in accordance with Rule-16 of the Punjab Naib Tehsildars (Class-III) Service Rules, 1984 but later on, it has been unilaterally modified to their disadvantage without hearing them. Aggrieved, the petitioners have served the respondents with a legal notice dated 15.11.2009, a copy of which is appended with the writ petition as Annexure P-5. However, the petitioners have not received any response to the legal notice nor the impugned seniority list has been altered. Aggrieved, they have approached this Court. Having heard learned counsel for the parties and keeping in view the nature of the relief sought in the writ petition, however, without expressing any view on the merits of the petitioners' claim at this stage, this writ petition is disposed of with a direction to the respondents to consider the claim made by the petitioners in their legal notice dated 15.11.2009 (Annexure P-5) and dispose of the same by passing a speaking order as early as possible but not later than 4 months from the date of receiving a certified copy of this order. Disposed of. Dasti. 13-01-2010 (SURYA KANT) Mohinder JUDGE