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PPSC chairman ad challenged in HC
According to the advertisement, the applicant should have held office for at least 10 years under the Government of India or under a state government
An advertisement put out by the state government to select new Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC) chairman has been challenged before the high court.
Acting on the plea from one Preet Harinder Singh Pannu, a Punjab and Haryana high court bench on Friday asked the state’s counsel to apprise it by January 10 whether rules or notifications as cited by the petitioner are in place and notified governing the appointment to the post.
The petitioner, a Zirakpur resident, had submitted that initial advertisement came out on November 26, followed by one on December 14 prescribing eligibility conditions along with other requirements for the post of chairman. “A bare perusal of the advertisement would reveal that ex-members of the PPSC who are otherwise eligible to be appointed on the post have been deliberately, illegally and arbitrarily debarred from applying for the post by tweaking the rules against the provisions of the Constitution of India”, the petition said. “The advertisement would further reveal that intelligentsia of the society has been deliberately kept out of the selection process. It was done to appoint some favourable person as the chairman,” it added.
According to the advertisement, the applicant should have held office for at least 10 years under the Government of India or under a state government. The petitioner claims as per Article 316 of the Constitution of India, there is no such specific eligibility criterion regarding the person desirous of becoming chairman of the commission of having held office for at least 10 years either under central or state government. Earlier, the eminent lawyers from the Bar, journalists with impeccable integrity, high calibre and administrative experience have served the commission. However, with this advertisement they have been debarred from even participation for selection process. The last date for applying for the post is December 25.
