Authorities directed to consider regularization of long-term daily wagers in accordance with Supreme Court precedents.

The four petitioners were appointed as Cleaners/Sanitation workers (Class IV posts) on a daily-wage basis under the Health Department, Government of Chhattisgarh.

They have been working continuously in these roles for an extended period but have not been granted permanent status or regularized.

The petitioners filed a writ petition seeking directions for absorption/regularization and the quashing of rejection orders issued against some of them.

During the hearing, the petitioners limited their prayer to being allowed to submit a representation to the authorities for expedited consideration.

1. Whether the petitioners are entitled to seek a direction for the consideration of their regularization as daily-wage employees who have completed long years of service.

principles governing the regularization of temporary or daily-wage employees established by the Supreme Court in Narendra Kumar Tiwari & Others v. State of Jharkhand & Others (2018), which addressed cases where employees completed 10 years of service.

doctrine from Jaggo v. Union of India (2024), which mandates that government departments must act as model employers by providing fair and stable employment rather than engaging workers on a temporary basis for extended periods for integral organizational functions.

The Court examined the petitioners’ claim of continuous engagement in the Health Department alongside the legal standards set by the Supreme Court.

The Court noted that long-term temporary employment for integral roles contravenes international labour standards and undermines employee morale.

Rather than deciding on the merits of the regularization itself, the Court focused on the procedural right of the employees to have their grievances heard by the administration.

By directing the respondents to consider a fresh representation, the Court bridge the gap between the petitioners' long-term service and the authorities' duty to act as a fair employer under the cited precedents.

It granted the petitioners permission to submit a fresh comprehensive representation to the concerned authority.

The Court directed the respondent authority to take a decision on said representation in accordance with the law and extant rules within a period of four months từ the date of receipt.