HC expresses unhappiness over appointments in district schools

Expressing unhappiness over appointments of sweepers and watchmen for the Higher Secondary and High Schools in Usilampatti Educational district, the Madras High Court Bench here today asked District Educational Officers of Madurai and Melur to submit the relevant papers.
Justice S.Nagamuthu said the Right to Information Act has worked at least in getting the facts for the petitioner on appointments.
The judge made the observation after seeing the report of the Usilampatti DEO who had mentioned in his selection list that recommendations made by MLA and Ministers had been taken into consideration for appointments.
The Usilampatti official said ten appointments were made on merit and ten on recommendations. A note put up by the office superintendent also mentioned that the Director of School Education Office instructed to appoint those recommended by the politicians.

Hearing a petition filed by one K.Ganesan,an SC community candidate and a physically challenged person, the Judge observed "Now I think throughout Tamil Nadu this type of unfair appointments would have taken place. I think a CBI probe may have to be ordered."
The Judge was also annoyed about papers being removed from the file submitted by the Melur and Madurai DEOs and asked "Is this the way you maintain files regarding appointments?"

The petitioner submitted the selection process was "unfair and "per se illegal and unconstitutional." It defeated the very purpose of social justice and equal opportunity for all. By making appointments on the recommendations of the politicians, the DEO of Usilampatti had defeated the constitutional guarantees, the petitioner charged.

The petitioner prayed that the court call for records on the selection process of sweepers and watchmen and quash the appointment in Usilampatti district for 2012-13, and order for fresh appointments.
The Additional Advocate General sought time to get instructions after which the Judge posted the case for hearing on September 6.