HC directs SSB to re-work eligibility of selected candidates

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Apr 6: In a significant order, High Court has directed J&K Service Selection Board to re-work the eligibility of 36 selected candidates for the post of Junior Physiotherapists and while doing so no relaxation shall be given in the eligibility standards, which shall be determined with reference to the cut-off date— February 9, 2013.
The High Court further directed that any candidate having 10+2 qualification and who had in his possession a provisional certificate of having completed the requisite course along with compulsory Rotatory internship shall be held to be eligible.
These directions were passed in a batch of nine writ petitions with lead case titled Astha Sharma & Ors V/s State of J&K & Ors challenging the selection of 36 Junior Physiotherapists belonging to Divisional Cadre Jammu on the ground that the selected candidates were not possessing the eligibility on the last date of the receipt of the applications— February 9, 2013.
When these petitions came up for hearing, Advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed with Advocate Rahul Raina appearing for the selected candidates vehemently argued, “stay is operating in the matter since October 2015 when the select list had been declared by J&K Service Selection Board. All the candidates to whom I am representing possess requisite qualifications—— Bachelors in Physiotherapy and have also undergone six months mandatory Rotatory Internship before the cut off date fixed by the SSB and in the select list there was an endorsement against the names of the selected candidates that, “recommendation withheld for want of bonafide certificate”.
“Bonafide certificates were immediately furnished to the J&K Service Selection Board by the selected candidates but because of the stay order the SSB has not made the recommendation to the Health and Medical Education Department for the appointment of the selected candidates”, he said, adding “precious two and a half years of the selected candidates have been wasted because of the frivolous allegations leveled against them in the batch of petitions”.
At this stage, Senior Advocate Surinder Kour with Advocate Vandana Sharma, Advocates F A Natnoo, Anchit Sharma, Abrar Ahmed Khan, Ankesh Chandel and Pawan Dev Singh appearing for the petitioners submitted that the selected candidates do not possess the requisite eligibility on the last date fixed by the SSB.
Upon this, the High Court put a query to Deputy Advocate General Raman Sharma who fairly conceded on the basis of record that some of the selected candidates may be ineligible. He further stated that SSB is prepared to re-work the eligibility of the candidates, whose names figure in the select list.
After heated arguments, Justice Dhiraj Singh Thakur with consensus of both the sides directed J&K Service Selection Board to re-work the eligibility of 36 selected candidates for the post of Junior Physiotherapists. The High Court also directed that the merit petition of the petitioners in all the 09 petitions be also worked out qua the other candidates.
“A supplementary affidavit shall be filed within two weeks”, the High Court directed.

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