22 Grade-III appointments made sans advertisement; HC issues notice
DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 2: Nagaland State Transport (NST) Department has been accused of leaving out the name of one of its former employees from the list of those who had died in harness and appointing as many as 22 Grade-III (LDA) employees without any open advertisement in the period between 2019 and 2021.
These accusations were backed by data obtained through RTI applications, the Kohima Bench of Gauhati High Court was told on September 29. Accordingly, the Court issued notice to the State respondents.
The petition was filed by a resident of Dimapur, Imnasenla Ao.
“Heard Mr. I Limatoshi, learned Counsel for the petitioner, who submits that this writ petition filed under Article 226 of the Constitution is for passing the appropriate writ to the respondents for the appointment of the petitioner on compassionate grounds on the death of the petitioner’s father, late I Lanuchuba Ao who died while serving as UDA in the Department of Nagaland State Transport in Peren District on April 16, 2019 at Dimapur, Nagaland, after a prolonged illness”, stated an order issued by Justice Marli Vankung.
The Counsel for the petitioner submitted that his client had applied for appointment of compassionate grounds. “However, the petitioner came to learn through the RTI application dated October 17, 2022, that the name of the petitioner’s father in the list of employees who died in harness was not included and that the petitioner’s application for appointment on compassionate ground was also not included in the list so prepared by the State respondents”, it stated.
The petitioner’s Counsel also told the Court that even as his client’s application was pending, they came to learn through an RTI application that as many as 22 other persons were appointed to Grade-III (LDA) posts in the period between 2019 and 2021 without any open advertisement.
“On hearing the submissions made by the learned Counsel for the petitioner, this Court finds it fit to issue notice of motion upon the State respondents.
“Ms. Inaholi, learned Govt. Advocate, accepts notice on behalf of the State respondent Nos. 1-4, no formal notice need be issued. Copies of the writ petition are to be served upon the State respondents. List the matter after four weeks”, stated the order.
(Page News Service)
