NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court has sought the city government’s response on why posts of chairperson and members in the Delhi State Minorities Commission have remained vacant since 2023. A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia observed that such posts cannot be kept vacant indefinitely and asked authorities to initiate the appointment process.
In an order dated April 22, the court issued notice to the Delhi government and directed it to file an affidavit detailing the steps taken and the timeline for filling the vacancies.
The direction came on a public interest litigation filed by Salek Chand Jain, who contended that no appointments have been made since August 24, 2023. The bench noted that while the law requires vacancies to be filled “as soon as may be”, it does not permit indefinite delay. “We call upon the respondent, GNCTD, to file an affidavit… to explain why the vacancies have not been filled since August 24, 2023,” the bench said, terming the delay “quite long”. The court further observed that the phrase “as soon as may be” cannot justify keeping posts vacant perennially.
The government has been asked to file its reply by August 12, when the matter will be heard next. The court had earlier sought the Centre’s response on a similar issue.
NGT caps park events at 10 days a month
The NGT has directed authorities to ensure that designated parks in Delhi are not used for events for more than 10 days a month, in line with SC orders. Hearing a case on alleged misuse of a Rohini park, the tribunal also asked the MCD to clear solid waste found.