Delhi HC refuses to stay Metro corporation MD’s appointment process

Lawyer and BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay had challenged the Delhi government’s February 10 notification calling for applications for the post of MD, DMRC, contending that it was 'arbitrary, irrational, unfair and contrary to due procedure.'

The Delhi high court on Thursday refused to stay the process for the appointment of managing director, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC), and asked the Centre and Delhi government to respond to a plea seeking directions to fix a uniform upper age limit of 60 years for external and internal candidates applying to the post

Delhi high court (File photo)

A bench of chief justice DN Patel and justice Neena Bansal Krishna issued notices to the Delhi government and the Centre, through the ministries of housing and urban affairs, and law and justice, and listed the matter for hearing on April 29.

The petition, filed by lawyer and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashwini Upadhyay, challenged the Delhi government’s February 10 notification calling for applications for the post of MD, DMRC, contending that it was arbitrary, irrational, unfair and contrary to due procedure.

The petition sought to declare the upper age limit for the post of managing director shall be uniform, that is, 60 years, and candidates who were eligible on the date of vacancy, that is, October 1, 2021, shall be eligible to apply for the post.

“The notification states that the maximum age to apply for the post is 60 years for internal candidates but it is 58 years for the rest of the candidates. Moreover, it considers employees of Lucknow Metro, Chennai Metro, etc, as outsiders, which is arbitrary, irrational and a brazen violation of Articles 14, 16 and 21, the plea said.