RANCHI: In a major relief to successful candidates of JPSC Civil Services and Food Safety Officer Exam, the Jharkhand High Court on Thursday stayed the state government’s decision to cancel various examinations, putting their jobs in jeopardy.
Justice Deepak Roshan also directed them to resume their duty immediately.
Following Chief Minister Hemant Soren's announcement on Monday, the state government, in one of its biggest actions to date, had cancelled 22 JSSC and JPSC examinations linked to TDPL. In addition, CID probe was ordered into 23 other examinations.
A notification detailing the decisions taken at the special Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Hemant Soren on August 17, amid the ongoing student agitation, was issued late on August 18.
Later, successful candidates of JSSC-CGL and various other examinations had approached the Jharkhand High Court, challenging the notification issued by the state government, cancelling the exam already cleared by them.
While filing a writ petition, the candidates sought urgent hearing of the matter, which was heard on Thursday. Advocates Indrajit Sinha, Piyush Chitresh and Amritansh Vats argued on behalf of the petitioners.
Several individuals currently employed after being selected through the JPSC Civil Services and other examination had filed petitions challenging the state government's order.
“The court has stayed the state government’s order to cancel the JPSC Civil Services and Food Safety Officers exam, asking them to join their duties immediately,” said advocate Amritansh Vats. The matter will be heard next on August 25, he added.
This stay brings major relief to the newly appointed officers who had approached the court.
The Jharkhand government’s decision to cancel 22 examinations conducted by the TDPS agency sparked protests among candidates who had cleared the exams and were already in government jobs. They lost their appointments following the announcement made by Chief Minister Hemant Soren the next day.
When they arrived at the Jharkhand Secretariat for duty as usual on Tuesday, they were stopped at the main gate and denied entry. The very office where they had worked until Monday had, by Tuesday, become inaccessible to them.
The decision triggered an uproar among candidates who had already cleared the exam and were posted at different positions across the state, including the secretariat.
The disgruntled employees had been sitting on dharna after Chief Minister Hemant Soren announced the cancellation of 22 examinations, allegedly under pressure from the protest by JPSC JSSC Reform Manch.
