“18. From these proceedings, it is clear that the petitioners have been employed as Field Officers from 1985 or 1986, as the case may be, only with the concurrence and knowledge of the successive District Collectors and other officers. But it is rather unfortunate that the petitioners service has been exploited and for all these years, they were made to work for a paltry and meager amount of Rs.1,000/- per month. The petitioners have not even been paid the minimum wages all these years. Curiously, now, in the counter affidavit, the third respondent would contend that the petitioners original appointment itself are illegal and that after 1993, they were allowed to work without any orders. It was further contend that the performance of the petitioner in WP No. 3571 of 2009 is far from satisfactory. In fact, in the order dated 30.04.2008 relieving the petitioners to take charge as Field Officers in the Ponvizha Grama Suya Valai Vaippu Thittam, nothing was has been stated regarding their irregular appointment or that they were working without any orders or sanction from the Government. Contra, the District Collectors and other officers have recommended that the petitioners should be brought into regular time scale of pay and also issued certificates of appreciation in their favour for their work. While so, by a memo dated 09.02.2009 of the District Collector, Dharmapuri, the petitoner in WP No. 3571 of 2009 was sought to be terminated from his long length of service, which is unwarranted besides legally not sustainable. Only in that memo dated 09.02.2009, for the first time, certain deficiencies were allegedly pointed out in the service rendered by the petitioner K. Selvarasu. Whereas, in the earlier occasion, the District Collector of Dharmapuri District has given certificate in favour of the petitioners.
