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HC raps govt on vacant constitutional posts; CM to chair selection meet on March 25
The Jharkhand High Court criticized the government for prolonged vacancies in key bodies, warning it’s unjustifiable and demanding action by April 1.
The Jharkhand High Court intensified its scrutiny of the state government regarding the prolonged vacancies in critical constitutional and statutory bodies, warning that leaving such institutions non-functional for years was “unjustifiable”.
A high court advocate close to the matter informed regarding the court development briefing the high court’s stand and government’s reply.
“During a hearing on a public interest litigation (PIL) on March 18 a division bench comprising Chief Justice Mahesh Sharadchandra Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar had expressed serious concern over the impact these vacancies have on democratic accountability and the rights of citizens. On Monday the state government informed that a meeting was scheduled on March 25 to take decision on the matter,” the advocate said.
“Responding to the court’s ‘stern’ stance, the government on Monday submitted an official update informing the bench that a high-level selection committee meeting, chaired by the CM, was scheduled for March 25. It was submitted that this meeting was expected to finalise appointments for several top-tier roles. After this submission the court scheduled the next hearing for April 1, where it expects a concrete progress report on these appointments,” the added.
Piyush Chitresh confirmed the development. “On March 25 decision on selection of Lokayukta and chief of state information commission will be taken,” he said confirming the court development.
The crisis of vacancies has severely hampered the grievance redressal mechanism in Jharkhand.
An official at Lokayukta office said the Jharkhand Lokayukta post has been vacant since the passing of Justice DN Upadhyay in June 2021. “Without a head, the anti-corruption body has been unable to investigate complaints against public servants for over four years,” he said.
Similarly, RTI Activist Sarvesh Singh said, the State Information Commission had been largely defunct since May 2020. “This has resulted in a massive backlog, with approximately 25,000 appeals currently pending as citizens remain unable to exercise their fundamental right to information,” Singh added.
The HC’s latest intervention follows a history of delays where the state previously cited the absence of a Leader of the Opposition as a reason for the stall. Even after that post was filled in early 2024, appointments remained in limbo, leading to warnings of strict judicial action and even contempt proceedings against responsible officers.
