Punjab-Haryana High Court
Satish Kumar And Others vs State Of Punjab And Others on 14 January, 2026
CWP-411-2026 1
IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT
CHANDIGARH
124
CWP-411-2026 (O&M)
Date of decision: 14.01.2026
Satish Kumar and others
....Petitioners
Versus
State of Punjab and others
....Respondents
CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE HARPREET SINGH BRAR
Present: Mr. Mohinder Singh Joshi, Advocate
for the petitioners.
Mr. Vikas Arora, DAG, Punjab.
Mr. Ajay Jain, Advocate (through video conferencing)
for respondent No.3.
HARPREET SINGH BRAR J. (Oral)
1. Prayer in this writ petition filed under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India, is for issuance of a writ in the nature of mandamus, directing the respondents to regularize the services of the petitioners as Sewerman as the service of similarly situated junior employees have already been regularized and further direct the respondents to grant age relaxation, if there is any non-filing of eligibility regarding age or education due to long service on DC rate.
2. Learned counsel for the petitioners, inter alia, contends that the petitioners were appointed as Sewermen on daily charge basis between 01.06.1998 and 01.08.2015 and they have rendered continuous uninterrupted service from 11 to 27 years with the respondent/Corporation without any complaint or adverse record, 1 of 4 ::: Downloaded on - 15-01-2026 09:46:45 ::: CWP-411-2026 2 thereby acquiring a legitimate expectation of regularization in terms of the State policy. He further submits that the State Government, recognizing the plight of long-serving daily wage and contractual employees, issued a Notification dated 18.03.2011 (Annexure P-1) and subsequent Instructions dated 14.11.2011 (Annexure P-2) providing for regularization of such employees, which squarely covers the case of the petitioners. Learned counsel for the petitioners further contends that petitioner No.7, Rudal Mahato, displayed exemplary courage and public service by retrieving dead bodies from a deep well, for which he was assured regularization and a cash reward (Annexure P-5), however, the said assurance remains unfulfilled, reflecting arbitrariness on the part of the respondents. Reliance is also placed upon Resolution No.23 dated 09.05.2025 (Annexure P-3) passed by the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, wherein it was candidly acknowledged that nearly 800 sanitation workers/sewermen could not be regularized solely due to the bar of upper age limit.
2.1. Learned counsel for the petitioner further asserts that the State Government has itself issued further Instructions dated 10.02.2023 and 08.09.2023 granting age relaxation for regularization of sanitation workers. He has relied upon the judgments rendered by the Hon'ble Supreme Court in Jaggo vs Union of India and others, 2025 AIR (SC) 296, Vinod Kumar and others vs Union of India, (2024) 1 SCR 1230 and Shripal and another vs Nagar Nigam, Ghaziabad, 2026 SCC (Online) 221. Lastly, learned counsel for the petitioners submits that 2 of 4 ::: Downloaded on - 15-01-2026 09:46:46 ::: CWP-411-2026 3 despite serving a legal notice dated 12.12.2025 (Annexure P-7), the respondents have failed to take any action and the action of the respondents in regularizing juniors while excluding the petitioners, is wholly discriminatory and violative of Articles 14 and 16 of the Constitution of India.
2.2. Learned counsel for the petitioners, at this stage, submits that he would be satisfied if the legal notice dated 12.12.2025 (Annexure P-7) of the petitioners is decided by respondents No.2 and 3 by passing a speaking order in a time bound manner.
3. Learned State counsel as well as learned counsel for respondent No.3, appearing on advance notice, submits that they have no objection, in case a direction is issued to the respondents No.2 and 3 for time-bound consideration and decision of the legal notice dated 12.12.2025 (Annexure P-7) of the petitioners by passing a speaking order.
4. Therefore, in view of the limited prayer made by learned counsel for the petitioners, the respondents No.2 and 3 are directed to consider the legal notice dated 12.12.2025 (Annexure P-7) of the petitioners and pass a speaking order in the light of the judgment rendered by this Court in CWP-19223-2017, titled as Parveen Kumar and others vs State of Punjab and others, decided on 08.09.2025, after affording an opportunity of hearing to the petitioners, within a period of 03 months from the date of receiving a certified copy of this order. Further, the decision taken thereof shall be conveyed to the petitioners.
3 of 4 ::: Downloaded on - 15-01-2026 09:46:46 ::: CWP-411-2026 4 Needless to say, if the petitioners are found entitled to the relief sought, the same shall be granted forthwith by respondents No.2 and 3.
5. Disposed of, accordingly.
(HARPREET SINGH BRAR)
JUDGE
14.01.2026
yakub
Whether speaking/reasoned: Yes/No
Whether reportable: Yes/No
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