The Meghalaya High Court on Thursday suspended the order of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC) that deregularised its employees by making them casual workers.
A single bench of Justice B. Bhattacharjee said that the impugned office order, prima facie, does not indicate that the applicants were issued with a notice or provided with any opportunity of hearing before the decision to revoke their regularisation.
Around 18 employees of the KHADC filed a Writ Petition (Civil) challenging the order passed by the district council on May 30, 2025. The petitions were filed separately.
“Although, in the impugned Office Order, the regularization of service of the applicant de hors the applicable rule was stated to be the reason for revocation of regularization of service of the applicant, nothing specific has been spelt out to indicate as to what particular aspect of the applicable rule was not adhered to while regularizing the service of the applicant,” Bhattacharjee said.
The court said it is deemed appropriate to suspend the operation of the office order till the matter is listed next.
After the new executive committee of the Voice of the People Party took over the reins of the KHADC last year, a committee on administrative streamlining was constituted by the district council to deliberate on the KHADC’s service rules, other relevant issues and the appointment of 43 staff members.
Thirteen staff, who had been appointed last year, were sacked while the other 30 had been casual employees before being regularised. The office order had made them casual workers once again.
