Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 5: Due to non application of mind by Services Selection Board, the State High Court had put on hold the process of selection for the posts of Horticulture Technician-IV in Agriculture Production Department.
Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey said the moot question for consideration of the Court with reference to settling the issue involved in this petition has reference to the decision of the Selection Committee on entertaining the applications of the competing candidates, including the petitioners herein.
“In the meantime subject to objections from the other side and till next date of hearing before the bench, selection, if any made, on the posts in question, shall not be given effect”, Justice Magrey directed.
The Services Selection Board vide its notification dated June 1, 2106 apart from other posts for various departments had also advertised 72 posts of Horticulture Technician-IV for Kashmir Division to which the petitioners responded after screening their eligibility by the board.
Court sought response from the authority, in order to ascertain as to how the selection authority has joined the issue of eligibility of the competing candidates (petitioners) after the conclusion of the selection process with reference to the qualification of the petitioners, when as a matter of fact, court said, the petitioners have been allowed to compete in the process while appearing in the written test conducted by the board. “It shall be appropriate to seek response from the official respondents”, read the order.
Eleven candidates have approached the Court through their counsel with the plea that the issue with reference to the possession of the required qualification was already determined by the selection authority (SSB) in terms of notice dated 26.9.2107.
The petitioners submitted that when they were asked to submit the requisite documents for the posts in question in order to ascertain their eligibility and on screening their eligibility by the selection authority (SSB) with reference to the notification, they (petitioners) were declared as eligible and allowed to compete in the process by allowing them to appear in written test.
Court has been informed that the petitioners were allowed to compete in the process of selection and as a result thereafter also figured in the provisional select list published by the SSB and were waiting for their recommendation for selection, but instead to their great dismay and surprise, the candidate figuring in waiting list was shown to be selected for the post in question.
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