In Brief
The Supreme Court upheld the right of temporary Muster Roll and Work Charged workers who were left out of a 2005 state regularization scheme due to administrative errors to claim equal treatment. Though initially appointed outside sanctioned posts, nearly 30,000 similar workers were regularized. The Court held excluding the remaining eligible workers—who had decades of continuous service before the cut-off date of April 1993—violates constitutional equality. The State's earlier undertakings to regularize them, its implementation of the policy for many, and its subsequent reversal citing Umadevi precedent amounted to arbitrary and inconsistent conduct unbecoming a model employer. Regularization and consequential benefits were directed.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.