Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 8: The High Court today directed for the personal appearance of Chairman and Secretary of Services Selection Board (SSB) in case it fails to finalize the process of selection for the posts of Assistant Information Officers (AIOs) as per court directions.
Taking note of the submissions made by the counsel that the SSB has requested the General Administration Department to allow it to finalise the selection process for the posts, the Court said that till date no concrete steps have been taken to ensure the compliance of the orders of the court.
“In the interest of justice, four weeks’ time is granted to the Respondent to comply with the order, failing which, Respondent shall remain present in court on the next date of hearing”, Division Bench of Justice Rajnesh Oswal and Justice Mohan Lal directed.
The Division Bench is dealing with a contempt petition seeking implementation of the DB verdict whereby the court had declared the selection process of 29 Assistant Information Officers by the SSB as invalid.
The SSB is under direction to ensure that the selection process as directed is expeditiously concluded. Aggrieved candidates who had challenged the 2013 selection list issued by SSB by way of a writ petition and after discussing various aspects of the case, the writ court in its judgment had concluded that prejudice to petitioners due to the change in criteria in the middle of the selection process and methodology on the date of the Aptitude test and interview held by the Board on October 2011.
The writ court while holding the selection process invalid had observed that the Board has sidelined the merit in the qualifying examination, as no credit has been given to higher qualification.
The writ court had directed the SSB to finalize the process of selection with promptitude of the eligible candidates who have applied in response to three the advertisement notices issued in the year 2006, 2008 and 2010 inviting application for the posts of Assistant Information Officer Grade-II and thereafter the board issued a provisional selection list on 21 January 2012 which has been nullified by the court.
Subsequently, the writ court judgment has been challenged in an appeal and the division bench in May 2013 had upheld the single bench verdict about the invalidity of provisional selection of 29 AIOs and had directed the recruiting agency to proceed with the selection process afresh in conformity with the rules.
“When the provisional selection list offends the rules, then to continue with the process shall not be permissible because process initiated is a base for follow up, when base is shaken, follow up shall be in-consequential,” the Division Bench had ruled while disposing of appeals against the single bench order.
The authorities approached the Supreme Court by way of SLP challenging therein the High Court verdicts of Single Bench and Division Bench and the Supreme Court on February 20, 2017, also dismissed the appeal of the State Government and upheld the judgments of High Court in which provisional selection of 29 Assistant Information Officers issued by the Board has been held as invalid.
“We do not see any ground to interfere with the impugned order(s). The Special Leave Petitions (SLPs) are accordingly dismissed,” Supreme Court said while dismissing SLP filed by State Government.
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