E-Paper
2019 constable recruitment: HC sends record to Haryana vigilance
The order was passed during the resumed hearing of a plea by the bench of justice Jaishree Thakur in which the recruitment of constables in 2018-2019 is under challenge. The allegations are that while some candidates were awarded five additional marks and got selected under socio-economic criteria, others were not awarded and remained unsuccessful. Cases pertaining to this recruitment have been pending in the high court since 2019.
The Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the Haryana government to send records of the 2019 constable recruitment exam to director general of police (DGP, vigilance).
The order was passed during the resumed hearing of a plea by the bench of justice Jaishree Thakur in which the recruitment of constables in 2018-2019 is under challenge. The allegations are that while some candidates were awarded five additional marks and got selected under socio-economic criteria, others were not awarded and remained unsuccessful. Cases pertaining to this recruitment have been pending in the high court since 2019.
The explanation given by Haryana Staff Selection Commission was that scrutiny was conducted by different committees and each committee applied its own yardstick to determine whether or not a person would be eligible to get additional marks under the socio-economic criteria.
On the last date of hearing, the court had asked the government whether the petitioners could also be awarded five additional marks. However, the government response was in the negative.
Now, the government has told the court that if five additional marks, which have been given under the socio-economic criteria being orphan/fatherless, are withdrawn, there would be 57 persons liable to be ousted in all five different categories of posts advertised i.e. male constables.
The court observed that the chart submitted in the court did not reflect the roll numbers of the persons, who would not fall in the zone of consideration if five marks are withdrawn and would be liable to be ousted on account of not having met the cut-off marks.
As the petitioner’s counsel alleged that the chart does not reflect the correct picture, the court directed the government to file a fresh affidavit, giving details of roll numbers of those candidates, who had been given five additional marks under the orphan category and are likely to be ousted on compilation of the result afresh.
Posting the matter for March 21, the court also directed that the result compiled, affidavit prepared and record pertaining to the selection for the post in all five categories to be sent to the custody of the DGP, vigilance, Haryana, and also permitted the petitioners’ counsels to inspect the record.
Last month, the high court had imposed a ₹2 lakh fine on the HSSC and summoned the commission’s chairman as it was dissatisfied with the handling of the matter. The commission, which had been constituted for the purpose of streamlining public employment, in the opinion of this court, is failing to discharge its duty, the court had observed.
