Page No.# 1/7 GAHC020007932026 THE GAUHATI HIGH COURT (HIGH COURT OF ASSAM, NAGALAND, MIZORAM AND ARUNACHAL PRADESH) KOHIMA BENCH Case No. : I.A.(Civil)/219/2026 SHRI MOBA WENKHANG AND 2 ORS PROBATION OFFICER, ATTACHED TO THE DIRECTORATE OF SOCIAL WELFARE, NAGALAND, KOHIMA 2: SHRI. RUKUVOTO RINGA SUPERINTENDENT OBSERVATION HOME-SPECIAL HOME ATTACHED TO THE DIRECTORATE OF SOCIAL WELFARE NAGALAND KOHIMA 3: SMTI VENEDULU VERO RESEARCH OFFICER DIRECTORATE OF SOCIAL WELFARE NAGALAND KOHIM VERSUS SMTI. ANUO LONGHO AND 13 ORS CDPO LONGLENG ICDS PROJECT, LONGLENG, DIRECTORATE OF SOCIAL WELFARE, NAGALAND, KOHIMA 2:STATE OF NAGALAND REPRESENTED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND SECRETARY GOVT. OF NAGALAND KOHIMA 3:THE DIRECTOR DIRECTORATE OF SOCIAL WELFARE KOHIMA NAGALAND. Page No.# 2/7 4:SHRI VEKHOTO TETSEO DISTRICT PROGRAMME OFFICER (DPO) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE PHEK NAGALAND. 5:SHRI RENCHAMO ODYUO DISTRICT PROGRAMME OFFICER (DPO) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE SHAMATOR NAGALAND. 6:SHRI. R. IMTINUKSHI DISTRICT PROGRAMME OFFICER (DPO) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE ZUNHEBOTO NAGALAND. 7:SMTI. AJONGLA TEMJEN DISTRICT PROGRAMME OFFICER (DPO) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE NOKLAK NAGALAND. 8:SMTI. SENTIMENTLA PONGENER DISTRICT PROGRAMME OFFICER (DPO) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE TSEMINYU NAGALAND. 9:SHRI MENOKHRIELIE DISTRICT PROGRAMME OFFICER (DPO) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE KOHIMA NAGALAND. 10:SHRI S. YESUMONG SANGTAM DISTRICT PROGRAMME OFFICER (DPO) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE KOHIMA NAGALAND. 11:SHRI M. YANGSEMONG SANGTAM DISTRICT PROGRAMME OFFICER (DPO) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE KOHIMA NAGALAND. Page No.# 3/7 12:H LAITAK KONYAK CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OFFICER(CDPO) MON ICDS PROJECT DEOARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE MON NAGALAND. 13:DISHONG CHAWANG@ DISHONG ZELIANG. CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OFFICER (CDPO) PEREN ICDS PROJECT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE PEREN NAGALAND. 14:R CHIRHOTSHU NYUSOU CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OFFICER (CDPO) JALUKIE ICDS PROJECT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE JALUKIE NAGALAND Advocate for the Petitioner : SENTILONG, Advocate for the Respondent : , Linked Case : WP(C)/54/2026 ANUO LONGHO W/O SHRI ANGAM P. LONGHO PRESENTLY SERVING AS CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OFFICER (CDPO) LONGLENG ICDS PROJECT LONGLENG DISTRICT DIRECTORATE OF SOCIAL WELFARE NAGALAND. R/O HOUSE NO. 403 ERALIBIL DIMAPUR NAGALAND VERSUS STATE OF NAGALAND AND 12 ORS REPRESENTED BY THE COMMISSIONER AND SECRETARY Page No.# 4/7 DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE GOVT. OF NAGALAND KOHIMA 2:THE DIRECTOR DIRECTORATE OF SOCIAL WELFARE KOHIMA NAGALAND. 3:SHRI VEKHOTO TETSEO DISTRICT PROGRAMME OFFICER (DPO) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE PHEK NAGALAND. 4:SMTI. RENCHANO ODYUO DISTRICT PROGRAMME OFFICER (DPO) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE SHAMATOR NAGALAND. 5:SHRI. R. IMTINUKSHI DISTRICT PROGRAMME OFFICER (DPO) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE ZUNHEBOTO NAGALAND. 6:SMTI. AJONGLA TEMJEN DISTRICT PROGRAMME OFFICER (DPO) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE NOKLAK NAGALAND. 7:SMTI. SENTIMENTLA PONGENER DISTRICT PROGRAMME OFFICER (DPO) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE TSEMINYU NAGALAND. 8:SHRI MENOKHRIELIE DISTRICT PROGRAMME OFFICER (DPO) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE KOHIMA NAGALAND. 9:SHRI S. YESUMONG SANGTAM DISTRICT PROGRAMME OFFICER (DPO) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE Page No.# 5/7 KOHIMA NAGALAND. 10:SHRI M. YANGSEMONG SANGTAM DISTRICT PROGRAMME OFFICER (DPO) DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE KOHIMA NAGALAND. 11:H LAITAK KONYAK H LAITAK KONYAK CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OFFICER(CDPO) MON ICDS PROJECT DEOARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE MON NAGALAND. 12:DISHONG CHAWANG@ DISHONG ZELIANG. DISHONG CHAWANG@ DISHONG ZELIANG CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OFFICER (CDPO) PEREN ICDS PROJECT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE PEREN NAGALAND. 13:R CHIRHOTSHU NYUSOU R CHIRHOTSHU NYUSOU CHILD DEVELOPMENT PROJECT OFFICER (CDPO) JALUKIE ICDS PROJECT DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL WELFARE JALUKIE NAGALAND. ------------ Advocate for : R. IRALU SR. ADV Advocate for : GOVT ADV NL appearing for STATE OF NAGALAND AND 12 ORS BEFORE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE MANISH CHOUDHURY ORDER 10.07.2025 Heard Mr. Taka Masa, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Mr. Sentilong, learned Page No.# 6/7 counsel for the applicants; Mr. R. Iralu, learned Senior Counsel assisted by Mr. L. Iralu, learned counsel for the opposite party no. 1 – writ petitioner; Ms. A Sangtam, learned Government Advocate for the opposite party nos. 2 & 3; and Mr. W. Jamir, learned counsel for the opposite party nos. 4-14. 2. The opposite party no. 1 as the writ petitioner has preferred the accompanying writ petition, W.P.[C.] no. 54/2026 with a grievance that her promotion to the post of District Project Officer [DPO] in the Social Welfare Department, Government of Nagaland has been withheld by an Order dated 28.02.2025. Assailing the said Order dated 28.02.2025 and another Order dated 10.04.2026, the accompanying writ petition has been filed. By the impugned Order dated 28.02.2025, six Child Development Project Officers [CDPOs] were promoted to the post of DPO. By the impugned Order dated 10.04.2026, three more CDPOs were promoted to the post of DPO. 3. While issuing notice to the respondents on 24.04.2026, an interim order to the following effect has been passed :- 8. In the Interim, it is directed that pending disposal of this writ petition, the respondent authorities shall reserve one post of District Programme Officer for the petitioner. It is also directed not to process further promotions of the petitioner’s juniors during the pendency of the writ petition. 4. The applicants herein are presently serving as Probation Officer, Superintendent and Research Officer, which posts are equivalent to the post of CDPO in the Social Welfare Department, Government of Nagaland. It is the contention of the applicants that due to the interim Order dated 24.04.2026, the process of promotion to the post of DPO in the anticipated vacancies has been halted as the applicants are within the zone of consideration for the anticipated vacant post in question, the interim Order dated 24.04.2026 has stand in the way. 5. In order to take part in the proceedings of accompanying writ petition effectively, the applicants have approached this Court by the instant interlocutory Page No.# 7/7 application seeking their impleadment as party-respondent nos. 14, 15 & 16 in W.P.[C.] no. 54/2026. It is further averred that three other similarly situated persons have already been impleaded as party-respondent nos. 11, 12 & 13 in the accompanying writ petition pursuant to an Order dated 18.08.2026 passed in I.A.[C] no. 177/2026. 6. Mr. R. Iralu, learned Senior Counsel appearing for the opposite party no. 1 – writ petitioner has submitted that as these applicants are found to be similarly situated as the applicants in I.A.[C] no. 177/2026, by which party-respondent nos. 11, 12 & 13 have already been impleaded, he has no objection if the prayer made by these applicants seeking their impleadment as party-respondent nos. 14, 15 & 16 is allowed. 7. Having regard to the above projected facts, and considering the submissions of the learned counsel for the parties, the applicants are found to have substantial interest in the outcome of the accompanying writ petition. Therefore, the application of the applicants for their impleadment as party-respondent nos. 14, 15 & 16 is allowed. 8. As the accompanying writ petition, W.P.[C.] no. 54/2026 is to be disposed of also today, the Registry has to incorporate the details of the party-respondent nos. 14, 15 & 16 for the purpose of record. JUDGE Comparing Assistant