Ranchi, Aug 6 (IANS) The Jharkhand High Court on Thursday observed that the post of Chairperson of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) cannot be kept vacant and directed the state government to clarify by August 20 when a new appointment will be made.
A division bench of Chief Justice M.S. Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar made the observation while hearing a suo motu case related to appointments against vacant posts of officers and staff in the Forest Department.
During the hearing, senior advocate Sanjay Piparwal, appearing for the JPSC, informed the court that the recruitment process to fill vacancies in the Forest Department had already been initiated.
He said that the preliminary and main examinations for the posts of Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) and Range Forest Officer (RFO) had been completed. The results of the main examination have also been declared, while the schedule for the physical efficiency test has already been announced
However, the advocate submitted that the recruitment process could not move forward because of the resignation of the JPSC Chairperson L. Khiangte and the ongoing investigation related to the Commission.
Taking note of the submission, the court orally remarked that the JPSC is a constitutional body and its top post cannot remain vacant for an extended period.
The bench directed the Advocate General to obtain clear instructions from the state government and inform the court at the next hearing about the timeline for appointing a new Chairperson.
The Commission further told the court that efforts were being made to complete the recruitment process for the vacant Forest Department posts at the earliest. The High Court also sought a progress report from both the state government and the Commission on the matter.
Notably, the Jharkhand High Court has been monitoring the issue on its own, citing the adverse impact of a large number of vacancies in the Forest Department on forest conservation and administrative functioning.
The court had earlier directed the state government to ensure time-bound recruitment against vacant posts. The matter will now be heard again on August 20.
–IANS
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