IAS POST RECOMMENDATION: CAT STAYS HARYANA GOVT’S MOVE

HT had reported how at least three candidates with outstanding ACRS were rejected to make way for edu minister’s daughter

A fortnight after HT reported that Haryana government shortlisted the kin of two front-line Haryana BJP leaders to fill-up an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) seat from among the non-state civil service officers, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) stayed the government’s move. The Chandigarh bench of CAT on Monday passed an interim order wherein it has stayed the recommendation of five names to UPSC .

CHANDIGARH: A fortnight after HT reported that Haryana government shortlisted the kin of two front-line Haryana BJP leaders to fill-up an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) seat from among the non-state civil service officers, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) stayed the government’s move.

The Chandigarh bench of CAT on Monday passed an interim order wherein it has stayed the recommendation of five names to UPSC and “restrained the UPSC from finalising the final select list”. The tribunal also issued notice to the Haryana chief secretary and the UPSC to respond within two weeks. The matter will now come up for hearing on December 20.

Sonepat resident Surender Singh Dahiya, 50, working as an

additional director of Haryana’s agricultural department moved the tribunal demanding that the recommendations of the screening committee for appointment be set aside and that the UPSC be directed to restrain from finalising the list of selected candidates.

The main contention was that Asha Sharma, medical officer, who happens to be the daughter of education minister Ram Bilas Sharma, was not eligible and did not qualify or fulfil the criteria of having an “outstanding record in the past five years” as per rules and regulations of the IAS Regulations, 1997, pertaining to recruitment. Yet, her name was recommended by the selection committee for appointment.

The applicant, Dahiya , claimed he had more than 25 publications and four appreciation letters issued by the government of Haryana and district administration, for outstanding work in various fields, and nine trainings with national and international organisations, much more than Sharma. The CAT order also stated that Sharma remained on Child Care Leave from January 15 to March 15, 2015, and thus the rest of the period was less than three months and that no report could be recorded for a period of less than three months. Before this, she remained on earned leave from December 1 to December 20,2014. The matter is argued by Rajesh Garg and Nimrita Shergill.