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2. At the outset, a preliminary objection was taken for and on behalf of DGC, the main contesting Respondent, questioning the maintainability of the petitions and thus, the parties were called upon to address arguments on maintainability. As maintainability is a common thread that runs in all the petitions and goes to the root of the matter, the objection is taken up and decided at the threshold, by a common judgment. WP(C) 3403/2020

3. Petitioner is a Union of the Employees of DGC and petition has been filed on behalf of 59 members, who are permanent employees of the Food and Beverages Department of DGC, essentially seeking quashing of the decision of DGC terminating their services and a mandamus directing the Official Respondents to take action against DGC for removing the Petitioners from permanent employment during Pandemic Covid-19 as well as to direct DGC to permit them to join their permanent employment, amongst other reliefs as follows :-

3. Writ, order or direction in the nature of MANDAMUS or any other appropriate writ, order or direction thereby directing the Respondent No.1 to 5 to ensure that the Food & Beverages Department of the Delhi Golf Club is not outsourced to any contractor/third party by the respondent No.6 amid Pandemic COVID-19.

4. Writ, order or direction in the nature of MANDAMUS or any other appropriate writ, order or direction thereby directing the Respondent No.1 to 5 to ensure that the Members of the Petitioner as detailed in ANNEXURE P-15 are not stopped from performing their duties during Pandemic COVID - 19 and further to ensure the continuity of the employment of the members of the Petitioner as detailed in ANNEXURE P-15 in view of the emergent situations arises due to the pandemic COVID-19.

3. Writ, order or direction in the nature of MANDAMUS or any other appropriate writ, order or direction thereby directing the Respondent No.1 to 5 to ensure that the Food & Beverages Department of the Delhi Golf Club is not outsourced/privatized to any contractor/third party by the respondent No.6 at the cost of livelihood of the Petitioners.

4. Writ, order or direction in the nature of MANDAMUS or any other appropriate writ, order or direction thereby directing the Respondent No.1 to 5 to ensure that the Petitioners are not stopped from performing their duties during Pandemic COVID - 19 and further to ensure the continuity of the employment of the Petitioners in view of the emergent situations arises due to the pandemic COVID-19.

21. On merits, Ms. Bhardwaj contended that DGC has illegally terminated permanent services of the Petitioners, which is impermissible in law and that too amidst Pandemic Covid-19, without any disciplinary proceedings, without giving any opportunity of hearing and without prior permission of the appropriate Government to terminate, which is a mandate under Sections 25(N)(7) and Section 25(O)(6) of the I.D.Act. Petitioners have been dedicatedly serving the Club for the past 3-4 decades, with an unblemished and exemplary record of service. Impugned action of termination is in violation of the express directions in the Notification dated 29.03.2020, issued by the Central Government under Section 10(L) of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 and the letter and spirit behind it, which is to protect employees against wage reduction and termination etc. in the wake of Pandemic COVID-19.