STATE OF PUNJAB vs HARNAM SINGH

The Supreme Court held that the previous service of drawing teachers in District Boards and Zilla Parishads, who were taken over by the Government of Punjab, would not be counted for seniority or other benefits as they were treated as fresh entrants into Government service per the conditions of the takeover deed. The Court affirmed the discretion of the Government to determine which staff to retain and clarified that without explicit terms recognizing prior service, it cannot be counted. The judgment referenced the precedent in State of Punjab vs. Dev Dutt Kaushal [1995 Supp SCC 746] regarding similar service conditions.