THE CHIEF ENGINEER & SECY. ENG. DEPTT. vs SH. KAMLESH BABOO

The Supreme Court held that promotions to the post of Executive Engineer under the Punjab Service of Engineers Class I (Buildings and Roads Branch) Rules, 1960 must follow the selection procedure outlined in Rule 8, and eligibility under Rule 6(b) does not confer an automatic right to promotion. The Court determined that seniority in Class I service is established based on the date of appointment following selection, which in this case was January 21, 1986, rejecting the Tribunal's directive to backdate seniority to January 1, 1985. The appeals were allowed, affirming that the respondents' seniority must be calculated from their actual appointment date as per the Rules.