CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court on Tuesday set aside the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) order that had quashed the appointment of 378 officers in Odisha Civil Service (OCS) seven years back.
The SAT had invalidated their appointment in Class I and Class II posts on the grounds that Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC)’s advertisement was made for Class II and Specially Declared Gazetted Category posts and selection was made accordingly. But the division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray endorsed the State government’s decision to appoint the 378 candidates in upgraded posts in OCS.
The State government had maintained that the 378 candidates were appointed at a time when there was revision in cadres and pay scales at the stage of initial recruitment in services under OCS.
Consequently, candidates selected for Class II were appointed in Class I posts and Specially Declared Gazetted in Class II posts.
According to the case records, the OPSC had recommended the 378 candidates for appointment in Class II posts and Specially Declared Gazetted posts after completing the selection process in June 2010 on the basis of OCS Examination - 2006. The State government appointed them in Class I and Class II posts in August 2010.
One Suravi Mohanty and eight others challenged the appointments in SAT. The appointments were quashed by SAT on April 23, 2014, but the SAT order was challenged by the State government in the Orissa High Court. A batch of petitions including one by 55 Odisha Finance Service (OFS) officers who were among the 378 candidates also challenged the SAT order in the High Court.
On June 10, 2014, the High Court issued an interim stay order on the SAT order. Hearing on the petitions was concluded and judgment reserved on September 27 this year.
Pronouncing the judgment on Tuesday, the division bench set aside the SAT order dated April 23, 2014.
The 378 officers were appointed in order of merit to Odisha Administrative Service, Odisha Finance Service, Odisha Cooperative Service, Odisha Employment Service and Odisha Welfare Service and Sub-Registrar and Orissa Settlement & Consolidation Service.