W.P.(C)/16511/2022 of SMT POOJA AND ORS Vs GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS
$~51
* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI
+ W.P.(C) 16382/2022, CM APPL. 51455/2022,
CM APPL. 51456/2022 and CM APPL. 57439/2023
ANURAG AHUJA AND ORS .....Petitioners
Through: Ms.Meghna De and Mr.Siddharth Sapra,
Advocates
versus
GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS .....Respondents
Through: Mr. Avnish Ahlawat Standing Counsel
GNCTD
Mr.Shivnath Kumar, Advocate for respondent
No.2
Mr.Rishabh Sahu, SPC with Mr.Sameer Sharma,
Advocates for UOI
53
+ W.P.(C) 16477/2022, CM APPL. 51741/2022 and
CM APPL. 53850/2023
SH SUSHIL KUMAR AND ANR .....Petitioners
Through: Ms.Meghna De and Mr.Siddharth Sapra,
Advocates
versus
GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS .....Respondents
Through: Mr. Avnish Ahlawat Standing Counsel
GNCTD
Mr.Shivnath Kumar, Advocate for respondent
No.2
55
+ W.P.(C) 16511/2022 and CM APPL. 51888/2022
SMT POOJA AND ORS .....Petitioners
Through: Ms.Meghna De and Mr.Siddharth Sapra,
Advocates
This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.
The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 16/03/2026 at 17:22:19
versus
GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS .....Respondents
Through: Mr. Avnish Ahlawat Standing Counsel
GNCTD
Mr.Shivnath Kumar, Advocate for respondent
No.2
58
+ W.P.(C) 16804/2022 and CM APPL. 53105/2022
SH AJAY KUMAR AND ANR .....Petitioners
Through: Ms.Meghna De and Mr.Siddharth Sapra,
Advocates
versus
GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS .....Respondents
Through: Mr. Avnish Ahlawat Standing Counsel
GNCTD
Mr.Shivnath Kumar, Advocate for respondent
No.2
Mr.Jitesh Vikram Srivastava, SPC with
Mr.Suramya Srivastava, Advocate for UOI
59
+ W.P.(C) 16810/2022, CM APPL. 53119/2022,
CM APPL. 34235/2023 and CM APPL. 62493/2023
SMT GEETA BISHT AND ANR .....Petitioners
Through: Ms.Meghna De and Mr.Siddharth Sapra,
Advocates
versus
GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS .....Respondents
Through: Mr. Avnish Ahlawat Standing Counsel
GNCTD
Mr.Shivnath Kumar, Advocate for respondent
No.2
Ms.Shubhra Parashar and Mr.Virender Pratap
Singh, Advocates
This is a digitally signed order.
The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above.
The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 16/03/2026 at 17:22:19
63
+ W.P.(C) 2175/2023, CM APPL. 8270/2023 and
CM APPL. 5862/2024
SH LALIT GAUR AND ORS .....Petitioners
Through: Ms.Meghna De and Mr.Siddharth Sapra,
Advocates
versus
GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS .....Respondents
Through: Mr. Avnish Ahlawat Standing Counsel
GNCTD
Mr.Shivnath Kumar, Advocate for respondent
No.2
Mr.Vijay Joshi, Advocate for UOI
69
+ W.P.(C) 3119/2024 and CM APPL. 12794/2024
JATIN BHOLA AND ORS .....Petitioners
Through: Ms.Meghna De and Mr.Siddharth Sapra,
Advocates
versus
GOVT OF NCT OF DELHI AND ORS .....Respondents
Through: Mr. Avnish Ahlawat Standing Counsel
GNCTD
Mr.Shivnath Kumar, Advocate for respondent
No.2
CORAM:
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MANOJ KUMAR OHRI
O R D E R
% 10.03.2026
1. By way of the present writ petitions filed under Article 226 of the
Constitution of India, the petitioners seek directions to the respondents to
comply with the direction/notice issued by the Union of Ind ia through the
This is a digitally signed order.
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Assistant Labour Commissioner (Central), Ministry of Labour and
Employment vide which the respondent was advised not to ch ange the
service condition of the workmen or terminate their services during the
pendency of the dispute.
2. The petitioners further impugned the Office Order dated 22.11.20 22
issued by the Revenue Department, GNCTD vide which it was dir ected that
all the Data Entry Operators (DEOs), who had previously worke d in Sub-
Registrar Offices in Delhi, be surrendered and immediately replaced.
3. On petitions being filed, this Court, vide order dated 1 3.12.2022 had
directed that the respondents shall maintain status quo the services of the
petitioners as existing on that date.
4. Notably, the present petitions have been filed in the context of
industrial disputes raised by the petitioners/workmen, who have claimed that
they were engaged in the capacity of Data Entry Operators(DEOs) wor king
in the establishment of Deputy Commissioner/District Magist rate, in
different districts, Government of NCT of Delhi shown as out sourced
workers on the basis of contract entered into between the Govt. of NCT of
Delhi and the Contractor(s). It is claimed that the duties performed by the
DEOs are of perennial and continuous in nature and the workers hav e been
working against sanctioned vacant posts of LDC/UDC. It is f urther claimed
that though the workmen are working under the direct and compl ete
supervision of Management No.1, they are shown as the employees engaged
through the contractor.
5. Being aggrieved with the non-regularization of their services and
denial of proper pay scale, allowances, difference of salaries paid and salary
of proper pay-scale of DEO, LDC/UDC on the principle of equal pay for
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equal work, the petitioners approached the Conciliation Officer se eking
regularization of their services along with the benefits as per pay-scale of
DEO, LDC/UDC posts.
6. Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that in som e cases,
respondent no.1’s contract with responden t no.2/Contractor(s) has expired
and a new Contractor has been engaged. The petitioners have appr oached
this Court apprehending termination of their services by the respondents.
7. Pertinently, writ petitions were filed at the stage when con ciliation
proceedings were pending and an order directing the respondent s not to
change the service conditions as well as not to terminate their s ervices
during pendency of the dispute was already passed. Conceded ly, thereafter
the matter is now stated to be pending before the Central Governm ent
Industrial Tribunal (CGIT).
8. A gainful reference is made to the decision of the Supreme Court in
Shripal and Anr. Vs. Nagar Nigam, Ghaziabad , reported as (2025) SCC
OnLine SC 221 , wherein while taking note of Section 6E of the U.P.
Industrial Disputes Act, 1947, which is pari materia to Section 33 of the
Act, it was held that unilateral alteration in service condi tions, including
termination, is impermissible during the pendency of an indust rial dispute
unless prior approval is obtained from the appropriate authority.
9. Learned counsel for respondent no.1 submits that the peti tioners were
deployed through respondent no.2 and, with the passage of time, a new
Contractor has been engaged in some of the districts. He, on inst ructions,
submits that the service conditions of the petitioners will not be altered
during the pendency of the dispute before the CGIT.
10. Considering that the dispute already stands referred and is pe nding
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before the CGIT, the present petitions are disposed of along w ith pending
applications with a direction that respondent no.2 would not alter the service
conditions during the pendency of the dispute and with f urther direction that
during the term of their engagement, the wages be paid regularly an d
arrears, if any, be also cleared within a period of one month from today.
11. The aforesaid directions shall remain operative subject to th e outcome
of the proceedings pending before the concerned CGIT.
MANOJ KUMAR OHRI, J
MARCH 10, 2026/pmc
This is a digitally signed order.
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The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 16/03/2026 at 17:22:19