HC summons Puducherry PWD Secretary to explain allegations of illegal and irregular appointments in public service

A judge of the Madras High Court said backdoor entries, due to favouritism and nepotism, led to denial of equal opportunities to all eligible candidates

The Madras High Court has summoned the Puducherry Public Works Department (PWD) secretary on Thursday to explain the process adopted in the Union territory with respect to public employment and also to disclose the number of illegal and irregular appointments made in the Department so far.

Justice S.M. Subramaniam passed the interim orders while hearing a 2016 writ petition related to a service matter. During the course of hearing, the petitioner’s counsel complained to the court that backdoor appointments had been happening on a large scale in various government departments in Puducherry.

The court was told that such appointments had been made in violation of the Government Orders and the principles laid down by a Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court in the Umadevi case. Taking serious note of such submissions, the judge summoned the PWD Secretary to ascertain the factual position.

In the interim order, he wrote that several appointments appeared to have been made in the Union Territory on the basis of “favouritism, nepotism and the whims and fancies of the authorities” concerned without providing equal opportunity to all eligible candidates by calling for applications through public notifications.

He said that the modus operandi appeared to be to get people appointed on a temporary basis initially, and then absorb them in permanent service. “Such practice results not only in unconstitutionality, but, the basic right of equal opportunity in public employment are denied to all the eligible candidates,” the judge said.