HC not satisfied with counter, directs TNPSC Sectry to file it

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High court today expressed dissatisfaction over the Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission not filing the counter in a case as directed and instead asking the Joint Secretary to do so.
Justice S.Nagamuthu, who expressed his unhappiness to the Secretary, TNPSC, M Vijayakumar, when he appeared in person, said he was not convinced nor satisfied with the counter filed regarding allocation of three seats to candidates who studied in Tamil medium in Group One Service.
The counter was filed on a plea seeking quashing of the tentative list of candidates selected for appointment in the service. The Judge directed Vijayakumar to file a counter affidavit of his own and posted the case to November 26.

C.Cynthia Mabel from Tiruchirappalli, in her petition, had submitted though she scored 354.50 marks, her name was not in the tentative list of candidates. However, three others who scored less marks had been selected.
The TNPSC had followed some random selection method, which was not acceptable, the petitioner said and sought to quash the tentative list and to consider her for a suitable post.
In his counter, E Sugumaran, Joint Secretary of TNPSC, said the list was prepared by following the roster and rotation system. Though the petitioner obtained 354.50 marks, she was not selected as the last candidate allotted under her community category BC/OBCM(woman) was one Meenakshi who scored 365.50 marks.

Justice S Nagamuthu said that "without getting clarifications on the Supreme court's directive to follow vertical reservation, you (TNPSC) are going on making appointments and many similar cases are pending before the Court."
"It seemed that the TNPSC had simply followed the Government Order 145. The said GO was already interpreted by the Supreme Court in K R Shanthi's case. It is the fault of the TNPSC for not observing the Court's direction in the appointment," the Judge said.