PSEB chief’s appointment challenged

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 16

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today issued notice of motion to the State of Punjab, its Principal Secretary, Education, Punjab School Education Board and its chairman Balbir Singh Dhol on a petition seeking quashing of his appointment.

The notice by the Bench of Justice SS Saron and Justice Darshan Singh came on the petition filed in public interest by advocate HC Arora.

He asserted that Chief Minister, in order to appoint Dhol as chairman, got an amendment carried out in a provision of the Punjab School Education Board Act through a special session of the Punjab Assembly.

Elaborating, he said till December 23 last, Section 6 of the Act provided that “No person shall be appointed as Chairman of the PSEB unless he has served the Central Government or the state government or both on a gazetted post for a period of not less than 15 years”.

It was substituted by the amended provision, which said: No person shall be appointed as chairman of the PSEB unless he has served the Central Government or the state government or both as member of the Indian Administrative Services or Punjab Civil Services for a period of not less than 10 years”.