Delhi CAT Bars Replacing Two Part-Time Plumber And Turner Instructors With Contractual Hires While They’re Willing, Until Regular Appointees Take Over

The applicants, engaged in the trades of plumber and turner, sought to challenge an advertisement dated 7/8 September 2026 and sought continuation as part-time instructors, including protection from replacement by another set of contractual employees

They also relied on three earlier OAs concerning similarly placed applicants.

The respondents raised no objection to disposal on the terms of an order dated 21 September 2026 in O.A. No. 3572/2026 and M.A. No. 4583/2026

The applicants’ application to join together in one OA was allowed

Whether the applicants should receive the same treatment as the applicants in the three earlier OAs, in light of their final adjudication

Whether the respondents could replace the applicants with another set of contractual employees while the applicants remained willing to continue, before regular appointees were available

The Tribunal cited no statute or independent legal precedent.

It applied the consensual directions made in O.A. No. 3572/2026 and M.A. No. 4583/2026: the applicants were to receive the same treatment as applicants in the three earlier OAs, in light of their final adjudication; and they were not to be replaced by another set of contractual employees while willing to continue, unless replacement by regularly appointed persons was required.

The Tribunal adopted those directions for this case with the parties’ consent

The applicants asserted that their case was identical to the earlier matter, and the respondents did not object to disposal on the same terms

Given the parties’ consent and the stated parity between the applicants, the Tribunal disposed of the OA by applying the earlier directions rather than separately determining the legality of the challenged advertisement or the applicants’ broader claims

The applicants were to receive the same treatment as those in the three earlier OAs, and were not to be replaced by another set of contractual employees while willing to continue, unless replacement by regularly appointed persons was required

There was no order as to costs