May file review petition: Haryana CM on Supreme Court verdict on grace marks

Chandigarh, June 24

Apparently on the backfoot after the Supreme Court upheld a Punjab and Haryana High Court May 31 order, quashing Haryana Government’s policy of granting additional marks to its residents in recruitment exams for government jobs, CM Nayab Singh Saini today asserted that his government was looking at filing a review petition in the apex court or to bring a Bill in the Vidhan Sabha.

Meant to benefit poor candidates

Our socio-economic policy is based on the principle of ‘antyodaya’. Our government is fighting for the rights of the poor. If the need arises, we will bring in a Bill in the Vidhan Sabha. —Nayab Singh Saini, Chief minister

“We respect the Supreme Court verdict,” Saini said, talking to the media here, adding that the BJP government had, in 2018, started the scheme of giving additional marks to candidates from the poor, weak and deprived sections of society.

“Our socio-economic policy is based on the principle of ‘antyodaya’. Our government is fighting for the rights of the poor. If the need arises, we will bring in a Bill in the Vidhan Sabha,” he stated.

Terming the government’s policy a “populist measure”, a Vacation Bench of Justices Abhay S Oka and Rajesh Bindal refused to interfere with the high court order, which had held as unconstitutional the socioeconomic criteria prescribed by the Haryana Government to grant additional marks to certain classes of candidates in government jobs.

The government had introduced the socio-economic criteria a few years ago, aiming to provide additional marks to certain classes of candidates, including those who did not have a government employee in the family, are state-domiciled and with their families’ annual income not exceeding Rs 1.8 lakh.

The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) against the high court order, which had struck down the policy of granting 5 per cent bonus marks based on the socio-economic status of the candidate, who is a state resident, to the total percentage of marks in the CET for Group C and D posts.

It ruled that no state could restrict employment to its own residents alone by allowing the benefit of 5 per cent weightage in marks and said, “The respondents (state government) have created an artificial classification to the similarly situated candidates applying for the post.”

Meanwhile, reacting to the Supreme Court order, the Congress today termed the BJP government’s policies as ‘anti-employment’. Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda alleged that the government had been fooling unemployed youths in the name of Common Entrance Test (CET). The government intentionally framed ‘weak’ recruitment rules, which could not stand judicial scrutiny. He claimed that the apex court order could have an adverse impact on over 23,000 government recruitment.

Party general secretary Randeep Surjewala alleged that the Saini government and the HSSC were playing with the future of lakhs of aspirants for government jobs. Thousands of recruitment done under the policy would now end up in courts, leaving youths in the lurch, he added.