Plea seeks junking of recruitment rules for HC readers

The Madras High Court today sought the stand of its registry on a plea for declaring null and void its rule for filling up the posts of assistants and reader in the court.
The bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar sought the stand of the high court's registrar general issuing notice to his office. The notice was accepted by Advocate P K Rajagopal on behalf of the RG's office.
The plea was filed by one P Pugalenthi, seeking to declare as null and void Rule 14A of the Madras High Court Service Rules, 2015 relating to the appointment of assistants and readers/examiners in the high court.

The petitioner submitted that the high court had in 2012 ordered that 50 per cent of the vacant posts be filled through promotion and the balance through direct recruitment.
As 56 vacant posts were filled up without issuing any public notification despite court orders, the petitioner challenged the same, which is still pending.
The high court had framed the Madras High Court Service Rules, 2015 in suppression of the then existing service rules which were considered by it while deciding the petitioner's case in 2012, the petitioner submitted.
As per the Rules, all posts of assistants and readers/ examiners were required to be filled only by promotion by considering even the last grade employees working in the high court, which led to unemployed graduates losing a valuable opportunity of being considered for public employment in the high court, the petitioner contended in his plea.

In January 2016, about 100 persons holding the post of office assistant in the high court were directly promoted as assistants, the petitioner said.