In Brief
The Supreme Court dismissed contempt petitions filed by retrenched workmen of U.P. Jal Nigam who claimed non-compliance with an order dated 07.09.2015. The Court held that the earlier order merely provided for preference to retrenched employees in future re-engagement based on seniority, not immediate reinstatement. Since the order contained no direction for reinstatement or regular appointment to Group D posts, petitioners could not invoke contempt jurisdiction seeking what was never awarded. Only 3 of 62 petitioners were parties to the original case; others lacked standing. The Court clarified that retrenched muster roll workers cannot claim regular appointment without meeting prescribed eligibility conditions and competing through normal recruitment."
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