Law: Punjab Government Rules of Business, 2011

Section: R 19, 25

Punjab Government Rules of Business, 2011---

----Rr. 19 & 25---Regularization of posts---Procedure---Vested right---Absence of approval of Finance Department---Provincial Government was aggrieved of direction issued by High Court to adopt special measures to regularize services of respondents / contract employees---Validity---Creation of new posts and change in employment status of respondents were decisions that fell squarely within the purview of R. 19 of Punjab Government Rules of Business Rules, 2011---Absence of Finance Department's approval for such decisions clarified the fact that there is no approval by Provincial Government---Posts were not approved for regularization---Employees cannot claim regularization as a matter of right--Regularization requires a statutory or legal backing and in absence of such a framework, Courts cannot impose any obligation on Government---Mere passage of time or length of service does not give rise to a vested right to regularization--There was no approval by Cabinet and no approval by Finance Department--Matter of regularization was never placed before Cabinet therefore, no recommendations could create any right in favour of respondents / contract employees---Supreme Court set aside judgment passed by High Court---Appeal was allowed.