CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court barred the Centre from taking a final decision on selection of judicial member for the Goods and Service Tax Appellate Tribunal (GSTAT) till June 20.
The vacation bench of Justices KR Mohapatra and MS Sahoo issued the interim order on Friday while issuing notices to the central government on a petition challenging the procedure adopted by the search-cum-selection committee in evaluating and recommending the name of the candidate for the post.
Advocate Pranaya Kishore Harichandan (62), one of the shortlisted candidates who had attended the personal interaction (interview) as a shortlisted candidate in Kolkata on August 3, 2024, filed the petition. He sought the court’s intervention when he came to know that the search-cum-selection committee had issued fresh intimation to few candidates from among those who appeared interview earlier, to appear before it for further personal interaction on May 31, 2025.
After a preliminary hearing on Friday, the vacation bench said, “We feel that the matter requires consideration. Hence issue notice. As prayed for (by deputy Solicitor General PK Parhi), put up on June 20, 2025. Instructions, if any, shall be obtained in the meantime positively.”
“Since finding a prima-facie case in favour of the petitioner, we have issued notice in the writ petition, we feel it proper to make an interim arrangement. Hence, as a purely interim measure, we direct that the selection of judicial member of the GST Appellate Tribunal may continue but no final decision shall be taken in the matter till the next date,” the bench ordered.