MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has summoned the commissioner of revenue administration (CRA), Tirunelveli collector, among others, in a contempt petition filed over delay in implementing the orders passed by the court to refix the seniority of a government employee whose promotion got delayed by three years due to administrative reasons.
The petitioner S Singaram was appointed as a typist by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission in 2002 and his service was regularised in 2004. Due to administrative reasons, his training got delayed and he was promoted as an assistant in 2013, after a delay of three years.
He gave a representation to the authorities to refix his seniority by including his name in the promotion panel list for the year 2010. Since no action was taken, he moved the court twice, in 2019 and 2022. His second petition was disposed of after the government said his request is under active consideration. But, alleging delay, Singaram filed a contempt petition last year.
A coordinate bench, which heard the contempt petition in December last year, had criticised the authorities and ordered them to take a decision on Singaram’s request within a month. However, when the case was heard on Tuesday, Singaram’s counsel submitted that the directions have not been implemented yet. Noting that the court’s order has not been obeyed even after a lapse of more than three years despite subsequent reminders, Justice Shamim Ahmed observed that the authorities have no respect or honour to the court’s orders and are in contempt of the court.
He directed the above three authorities to appear before the court on August 14 to justify their conduct and explain why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against them, and charges be framed.