HC miffed with state departments’ inability to handle internal matters

Talking about the sad state of affairs in some government departments, the Bombay high court (HC) has directed the principal secretary of social justice department

Talking about the sad state of affairs in some government departments, the Bombay high court (HC) has directed the principal secretary of social justice department to speak to the chairman of the women’s commission and ask her to demit the post so that a new chairman can be appointed. This comes after the women and child welfare, social justice and tribal welfare departments informed the HC that they were unable to get the chairman of the women’s commission to demit her post despite her tenure coming to an end.

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Calling the situation ‘shameful’, the division bench of justices SC Dharmadhikari and RI Chagla, while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by activist Vihar Durve seeking directions to the state to fill up vacant posts in the women’s commission, said that it seemed the HC was saddled with the task of filling vacant posts and then getting them vacated too. Directing the additional government pleader to inform the concerned principal secretary to speak to the chairman, the bench said that it was not there to do the job of the departments.

The court was informed that after the formation of the new government, the post of chairman had not been filled as the previous chairman had not demitted her post though her tenure ended with the government’s term.

“We understand that the appointment of the previous chairman was a political one, and because she enjoys the patronage of a politician, neither the department nor the secretary is able to get her to demit office,” said Dharmadhikari.