VIJAYAWADA: A total of 982 Multi-Purpose Health Assistants (MPHAs-Male) were terminated from service by District Medical and Health Officers (DMHOs) across Andhra Pradesh after the High Court’s final judgment in a decades-long legal dispute.
Addressing the media persons on Monday at Secretariat, Special Chief Secretary (HM&FW) M.T. Krishna Babu informed that the recruitment process for 2,324 MPHA (Male) vacancies, initiated in 2002 for the combined state of Andhra Pradesh, faced prolonged litigation over qualifying criteria.
The original notification specified SSC with a one-year MPHA (M) training as the qualification. However, interim court orders allowed recruitment based on Intermediate qualifications, leading to inconsistencies and numerous legal challenges.
The Supreme Court, in 2011, upheld SSC as the required qualification, prompting the termination of 1,200 MPHAs recruited with Intermediate qualifications. However, these candidates were reappointed in 2013 under GO Rt. No. 1207 after serving for nearly nine years, which sparked further litigation.
In its latest verdict on November 29, 2024, the High Court deemed the reappointments under GO 1207 as backdoor entries and dismissed WP No. 38060/2013, invalidating the recruitment of an additional 216 MPHAs. Consequently, 766 MPHAs recruited under GO 1207 and 216 appointed through interim court orders were terminated.
Special Chief Secretary (HM&FW) M.T. Krishna Babu noted that this judgment resolves a 22-year legal battle involving 299 writ petitions and contempt cases. He highlighted the complexities caused by conflicting court orders and the significant administrative resources spent on the issue.
The High Court acknowledged the long tenure of terminated employees but upheld the legal principle of adhering to recruitment norms. The government has now complied with the judgment, marking a decisive end to one of the most protracted recruitment disputes in Andhra Pradesh’s history, he added.