Hisar resident challenges 2 HPSC appointments in high court

A Hisar resident, Victor Robinson, has challenged appointments of two members of the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) before the Punjab and Haryana high court.

The high court bench of justice MMS Bedi did not formally ask Haryana to respond but adjourned the matter for April 18. It has asked the petitioner whether these appointments, if illegal, could be set aside by the court.

The appointments under challenge are of Neeta Khera and Jai Bhagwan Goyal, appointed as members of HPSC recently.

In July 2013, the state government had appointed Manbir Singh Bhadana as Chairman and Jagan Nath, Savita Tayal, Surender Kumar Sharma and Dr Harender Pal Singh as members of HPSC. Out of these, Bhadana and Harender Pal Singh were non-officials and the rest were official members.

The court was told that with two more appointments, now there are seven members in HPSC. Five of them are non-official members.

It was argued that as per Article 316 of the Constitution, there should be a 50:50 ratio between persons from official and non-official category.

It was alleged that there had not been a meaningful and effective consultative process on selection of the two appointments and that they were made only because of “political affiliation”.

The petitioner alleged that the government did not consider names of other candidates who had applied for the same, including him.