Rs 50,000 relief to candidate denied job

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 29

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ordered a compensation of Rs 50, 000 to a candidate wrongly denied appointment to a contractual post.

Justice Deepak Sibal also ordered a probe by the Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Health, to fix responsibility for irregularities committed in the selection process resulting in the wrongful denial of appointment.

The amount will initially be disbursed by the state but later recovered from persons found guilty in the inquiry to be completed within three months.

The direction came after Justice Sibal observed that a candidate who did not even appear for interview was offered appointment as a multipurpose health worker . The developments took place on a petition filed by Saroj Bala and Pinki against Haryana and other respondents.

The court was told that an advertisement issued in November, 2011, for contractual appointments to several posts, including multipurpose health worker’s post in Dhatrath village in Jind district.

The petitioners applied for the post but one Rekha Rani was appointed.

Two other candidates, Mamta Devi and Suman, were at No 1 and 2 on the waiting list while petitioner Pinki figured next.

An inquiry, ordered after receiving complaints of irregularities in the selection process, found that Rekha Rani, Mamta Devi and Suman had never appeared for the interview.

Following the inquiry, Rekha Rani resigned from her post. As a result, the post was re-advertised but Pinki did not apply for the same. In the selection process then conducted, Manju Kumari was appointed.

Taking up the matter, Justice Sibal asserted Pinki was wronged in the selection process that took place in 2011.

She deserved to be appointed on merit in place of Rekha Rani but she could not be offered appointment in pursuance to the advertisement and selection held in 2011 as the selection was contractual in nature for a year, which had already elapsed.

Justice Sibal added: “But for having been wrongfully denied appointment in 2011, I deem it just and proper to award her compensation of Rs.50, 000.