THE HON'BLE MR JUSTICE R.SUBHASH REDDY WRIT PETITION NO : 7100 of 2010 ORDER: In this writ petition the petitioner seeks a direction by way of Mandamus declaring the action of the respondents in not counting the period of four years as the period of seniority as illegal and arbitrary. It is stated that the petitioner’s father worked as Naik in the Railway Protection Force (RPF). He retired from service on the ground of medical invalidation, with effect from 28.02.1998. The petitioner, who is the son of the retired employee, made an application to the respondents requesting to appoint him in any of the suitable post on compassionate grounds. In response to the application filed by him, written test and medical test were conducted and selections were also made in the year 2001. The case of the petitioner is that though he was declared fit in the year 2001 itself, ultimately he was appointed as a Constable Cook (RPF) only on 1.12.2005. The grievance of the petitioner is that though he submitted representations to the respondents to count the four years period from the date of his selection till the date of his appointment as the period of seniority, no action has been taken so far. Hence he filed the present writ petition. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Standing Counsel for the Central Government. Even according to the petitioner, he was appointed in the year 2005. Since the petitioner was not appointed along with the persons selected in the same batch, he lost his seniority of four years. It is to be noted that all those persons, who were selected in the same batch, were appointed immediately after the selections, but the petitioner was appointed only in the year 2005. It is fundamental that an employee is entitled to seniority in the category of a particular post only from the date of his appointment but not for previous period. Merely because the petitioner was selected four years earlier to his appointment, his seniority cannot be counted for the interregnum period. In view of the observations made hereinabove, the Writ Petition is dismissed. No costs. _______________________ (R.SUBHASH REDDY, J.) 6th April, 2010 Js.