CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has sought an explanation from the state government over the delay in finalising recruitment rules for teaching faculty in government homeopathy medical colleges while hearing a petition challenging an advertisement that restricts contractual appointments to retired government employees.
A single-judge bench of Justice AK Mohapatra, hearing a writ petition filed by eight qualified homeopathic doctors, granted the state two weeks to clarify when it intends to frame the recruitment rules and initiate regular appointments to faculty posts and directed that the matter be listed in the week commencing July 27.
In the interim, Justice Mohapatra directed that any appointments made pursuant to the June 18 advertisement would remain subject to the final outcome of the writ petition.
The petitioners challenged the June 18 advertisement inviting applications through a walk-in interview for engagement of 18 professors, 45 readers and 16 lecturers on contractual basis in government homeopathy medical colleges. They contended that the eligibility criteria unfairly confined the appointments to retired government employees, excluding younger qualified candidates.
Appearing for the petitioners, advocate Trilochan Dash argued that the doctors possess the requisite qualifications for the teaching posts but have been denied an opportunity to compete solely because of the restrictive eligibility condition.
Representing the state, advocate A Mohanty submitted that regular recruitment has not been undertaken as the recruitment rules governing appointment of teaching faculty in government homeopathy medical colleges are yet to be finalised. He informed the court that the government has already initiated steps to complete the rule-making process at the earliest.
When the court sought a timeline for finalising the rules and conducting regular recruitment, the state’s counsel sought additional time to obtain instructions from the government.
Accepting the request, Justice Mohapatra granted two weeks time to place its stand on record.