It is relevant to state here that previously the minimum age of 17 years and maximum of 27 years were prescribed under Rule 5 which was subsequently altered to 18 years and 35 years by the Punjab Panchayat Secretaries Recruitment and Conditions of Services 1st Amendment Rule, 1993.
Before the selection companyld be made the State Government issued another advertisement on 19th September, 1998 inviting applications from female candidates for the said 700 posts of Panchayat Secretaries.
The companytroversy raised in the case relates to the cut off date fixed for fulfilling the prescribed qualification relating to age by a candidate for the post of Panchayat Secretary in the State of Punjab.
In the said advertisement the cut off date for satisfying the eligibility qualification pertaining to age was stated as 1st September, 1997.
The appellants are male and female candidates, who were prevented from applying for the post since they did number satisfy the qualification pertaining to age by the cut off date fixed in the advertisements.
The relevant facts of the case leading to the present proceeding may be stated thus The Government of Punjab issued an advertisement on 18th September, 1997 in the local newspapers inviting applications from male candidates for 700 posts of Panchayat Secretaries.
In the said advertisement the cut off date for fulfilling the eligibility qualification pertaining to age was the same date, 1st of September, 1997 as in the previous advertisement.
Feeling aggrieved by the judgments rendered by a Division Bench of the High Court of Punjab Haryana on 10.1.2000 and 25.4.2000 dismissing the writ petitions filed by them, the appellants have filed these appeals assailing the said judgments.
The appellants filed the writ petitions challenging the cut off date fixed in the two advertisements and also the provision of the rule prescribing the minimum and maximum age for appointment to the posts.
As numbered earlier all the appellants being below 18 years of age by the cut off date were number eligible to apply for the posts.
In both the advertisements it was stated that the applicant should number be less than 18 years of age and more than 35 years of age by the cut off date.
The age qualification was prescribed in terms of Rule 5 of the Punjab Panchayat Secretaries Recruitment and Conditions of Services Rules, 1979 hereinafter referred to as the Rules .
