NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday slammed the Himachal Pradesh government for denying employment to Pooja Thakur, an Asian Games gold medallist, under the sports quota, asking “this is how you (state govt) encourage sportspersons?
Thakur won the gold medal in kabaddi during the Asian Games held at Incheon, South Korea in 2014. She was also awarded a silver medal in the 2015 National Games.
A bench of the apex comprising Justices Abhay S Oka and Augustine George Masih took exception of the fact that a gold medallist was made to run from pillar to post for years seeking employment.
“This is how you encourage sports persons? Somebody won a gold medal in the Asian games of 2014; your chief minister should have a pragmatic approach... This is the approach of the state while dealing with the sports persons,” the bench observed.
On Thursday, the SC dismissed the appeal filed by the Himachal government against her appointment to the post of excise and taxation officer effective from the date of her application to the CM in July 2015.
The state government in its appeal challenged a 2023 high court division bench order, which upheld a single judge’s order directing Thakur’s appointment to the post.
Earlier, the division bench had refused to interfere with the order of the single judge who directed the authorities to offer her appointment in the excise and taxation department, from the date of her application to the then chief minister. The High Court held she was entitled to all the consequential benefits from such dates, including seniority.
The HC noted that the state authorities were not happy over Thakur reportedly approaching them for her appointment to a class-I post by filing two original applications and they were annoyed by it.
“It is highly unreasonable on the part of the state to deny the benefit granted by the single judge to the respondent of being appointed to the post of excise and taxation officer from the date she submitted application to the then chief minister in July 2015,” the HC said.
Later on, the apex court also expressed its displeasure on state govt and dismissed the appeal of the state govt.
Thakur applied for the job as a deputy superintendent of police, a Class 1 post, in 2015 under the 3% reservation policy for distinguished sportspersons. But her case was overlooked while other sportspersons, including a male kabaddi player, a woman cricketer and a shooter were recruited under the same quota.
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