High Court suspends operation of KHADC order revoking regularisation of employee

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 12, 2025

The High Court of Meghalaya has suspended the operation of Office Order No.349 dated 30.05.2025, issued by the Executive Committee of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC), which revoked the regularisation of an employee and reverted her to casual status.

The order was issued on June 12 during the trial of MC(WPC) No.119 of 2025 in WP(C) No.234 of 2025 between Holeena Suting and the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council & 2 others, in the Court of Justice B. Bhattacharjee.

During the hearing, Suting prayed for a stay on the impugned Office Order No.349 dated 30.05.2025, by which her regularisation as a peon was revoked and she was reverted to the post of a casual employee.

The Court observed it transpires from the submissions made on behalf of the rival parties and the materials on record that the applicant was appointed as a casual employee vide Office Order No.577 dated 10.08.2023.

After completion of about 4 months of service as a casual employee, vide Office Order No.21 dated 03.01.2025, the service of the applicant was regularized as a peon on the basis of the decision of the Executive Committee of the Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council (KHADC).

However, by the impugned Office Order No.349 dated 30.05.2025, the regularization of the applicant as peon was revoked and she was reverted back as a casual employee.

The impugned Office Order, prima facie, does not indicate that the applicant was issued with a notice or provided with any opportunity of hearing before the decision to revoke her regularization as peon was made.

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.