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REPORTABLE

                     IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION

WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) No. 758 OF 2016  

LOKESH KATARA AND ANR               ..... PETITIONERS   

Versus  

HON’BLE HIGH COURT OF GUJARAT     .....  RESPONDENT       

O R D E R

Dr D Y CHANDRACHUD, J

These proceedings have been instituted under Article 32 of the

Constitution  by  two  petitioners  who  are  stated  to  be  working  as

Systems Officers and Systems Assistants since 2009 on a contractual

basis.   The  petitioners  state  that  Systems  Officers  and  Systems

Assistants were engaged in the High Court and the district courts in

the State of Gujarat in consonance with the National Policy and Action

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Plan  prepared  by  the  E-Committee.   In  2013,  the  Government  of

Gujarat sanctioned posts of Systems Officers and Systems Assistants

in the regular cadre.   An amendment was made to the recruitment

rules  in  2015 for  filling  up these posts  by  direct  recruitment.   The

existing Systems Officers and Systems Assistants working in various

district courts submitted a representation seeking their absorption.  An

online skill test was conducted.  Another representation was submitted

on 16 March 2016.  However, the representation for absorption was

rejected on 26 May 2016.  On 9 September 2016 an advertisement

was  published  by  the  Registrar  (Recruitment  and  Finance)  inviting

applications for  thirty  posts  of  Systems Officers  and thirty  posts  of

Systems Assistants.   The Writ Petition has been instituted seeking to

challenge  the  advertisement  issued  by  the  High  Court  and  for  a

mandamus for incorporating a provision in the recruitment rules for the

absorption of the petitioners and similarly placed persons.

2 We are not inclined to entertain a Writ Petition under Article 32 of

the Constitution.  The petitioners have a remedy available of moving

the  High  Court  on  the  judicial  side  under  Article  226  of  the

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Constitution.   In  the  circumstances,  while  leaving  it  open  to  the

petitioners  to  institute  appropriate  proceedings  as  they  may  be

advised, we decline to entertain this petition under Article 32 of the

Constitution.

3 The Writ Petition is accordingly dismissed.  

                .........................................CJI                      [T S  THAKUR]   

                                 …..........................................J [Dr D Y  CHANDRACHUD]

       …..........................................J                    [L NAGESWARA RAO]

New Delhi December 14,2016