ALLAHABAD HIGH COURT
Sunil Ambwani, J.
Ajai Kumar Singh, Madan Pal Singh
Versus
Court of Judicature at Allahabad through Registrar General and District
Civil Misc.Writ Petition 32158 of 2002
Decided On : 07 July 2005
Civil Misc. Writ Petition 32158 Of 2002
WAITING LIST - Appointment from Waiting List - U.P. Subordinate Civil Courts Ministerial Establishment Rules 1947 - Rule 14(3) - Madan Lal v. State of J and K AIR1995 SC 1088, Prem Singh v. State of Haryana 1996 IV AD (SC )593 - Exceptional circumstances for appointments from waiting list - Chandigarh Administration v. Jagjeet Singh AIR1995 SC 705 - Illegal order cannot be the basis for comparison
Fact of the Case:
The petitioner was appointed on a short-term vacancy caused by the suspension of an employee. He claimed parity with another person appointed from the waiting list, alleging violation of equality before law guaranteed by Article 16 of the Constitution of India.
Finding of the Court:
The court dismissed the writ petition, stating that appointments from the waiting list on short-term vacancies should not be made in the absence of exceptional circumstances. It refused to examine the circumstances of the other person's appointment and emphasized that each case must be decided on its own merit.
Issues: Violation of equality before law guaranteed by Article 16 of the Constitution of India, appointment from waiting list on short-term vacancy
Ratio Decidendi: Appointments from the waiting list on short-term vacancies can only be made in exceptional circumstances. Illegal orders cannot be the basis for comparison, and each case must be decided on its own merit.
Final Decision: The writ petition was dismissed, and the court directed that no appointment shall be made from the waiting list on any short-term vacancies in the future.
( 1 ) HEARD Sri A. P. Tiwari, learned counsel for the petitioner and Sri Amit Sthelkar for respondents.
( 2 ) THE District Judge, Deoria advertised 48 vacancies of Class III employees to be filled up by selections vide advertisement published on 13. 9. 1999. Out of these 48 vacancies, 36 were on the post of Clerks in Grade III, 05 on Paid Apprentices and 07 on Stenographers. The petitioner was placed in the waiting list of paid apprentices it serial No. 2. All the selected persons joined. There was no further vacancies on which the petitioner could be appointed within a period of one year i. e. The validity of the select list in terms of Rule 14 (3) of the U. P. Subordinate civil Courts ministerial Establishment Rules 1947. It appears that four employees of the Judgeship were suspended and consequently District Judge appointed some of the persons out of the waiting list on these short term vacancies. The petitioner was given the short term appointment caused on suspension of One of such employee. The appointment letter dated 7. 7. 2000 clearly mentioned at the end, that the appointment is on a vacancy caused on the suspension of an employee and that if the employee is reinstated, the petitioners services will come to an end. Sri Ajai Kumar srivastava, the suspended employee was reinstated. Consequently the petitioners services came to an end by order dated 14. 11. 2000.
( 3 ) LEARNED counsel for the petitioner submits that similarly placed person at serial No. 1 in the waiting list, who was also appointed in short term vacancy, name a representation to High Court, which was allowed and that he was given regular appointment vide order of the High Court dated 23. 5. 2001. The petitioner has claimed parity with Sri Dharmendra Kumar Chaudhari and submits that rejection of his representation violates the equality before law guaranteed by Article 16 of the Constitution of India.
( 4 ) A person in the waiting lift does not have a right to be appointed unless the advertised vacancies are not filled up by the selected persons. It is only when any selected person does not join, that the vacancies can be offered to the person in waiting list in accordance with merit position within the period of validity of the select list. In the present case, it is admitted that no vacancies were caused on account of non-joining of any of the persons selected and placed in the main list. This Court has time and again and repeatedly requested the District Judges not to make appointments on short term vacancies out of waiting list prepared after regular selection. This not only causes complications but raises hopes of the wait listed candidates who are later on engaged in litigation for decades altogether. In Madan Lal v. State of J and K AIR1995 SC 1088 , JT1995 (2 )SC 291 , 1995 Lablc1575 , 1995 (1)SCALE494 , (1995 )3 SCC486 , [1995 ]1 SCR908 , 1995 (2 )SLJ161 (SC ), 1995 (2 )UJ817 (SC ) and Prem Singh v. State of Haryana 1996 IV AD (SC )593 , jt1996 (5 )SC 219 , (1996 )II LLJ786 SC , 1996 (4 )SCALE354 , (1996 )4 SCC319 , [1996 ]supp2 SCR401 , 1996 (2 )UJ239 (SC ), (1996 )3 UPLBEC2188 the Supreme Court held that appointments from the waiting list, beyond advertised vacancies can be made only in exceptional circumstances, and in emergent situation, and that too by taking a policy decision, which should be free from arbitrariness
( 5 ) THE object and purpose of the waiting list is to avoid another selection for the same vacancies which cannot be filled up from the selected candidates. The petitioner was not appointed on any clear vacancy. He was appointed on a vacancy caused on account of suspension of an employee of the judgeship. It was a short term vacancy which should not have been filled up from the waiting list. In any case the appointment letter clearly stipulated that the appointment is conditional upon reinstatement of suspended employee. Sri A. P. Tiwari, learned counsel for the petitioner made an attempt to state that this con
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