VITHALDAS HEGDE
vhegde3@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: In Goa, dead men not just talk, but they seem to be fit to be Junior Scale officers. At the same times, even retirement is not an issue for some to be in the “seniority” list of Junior Scale officers, even though they may have already become grandparents
The Bombay High Court at Goa was taken aback over the unwarranted inclusion of officers in the seniority list of Junior Scale Officers who have been either retired or dead, from service and has directed the State government to exclude their names as they cannot form part of the cadre in question.
In fact, one of the candidates included in the list has already passed away and two are retired.
There is another shocker. 31 of the 49 on the list are ad hoc appointees, and not drawn from the Goa Public Service Commission exam, which forms the pool of junior scale officers
The HC now has directed the State government to prepare a final seniority list of Junior Scale Officers strictly in accordance with the statutory Rules within next three months, so that the seniority in the cadre of Junior Scale Officers is appropriately reflected in a realistic manner and as per law.
Two Goa Civil Service Junior Scale Officers Neha Naik Panvelkar and Kedar Ashok Naik had prayed to quash and set aside the seniority list memorandum dated January 28, 2020 stating that it was not in accordance with the prescribed rules.
They submitted that the Department of Personnel had not followed the “Goa Government (Seniority) Rules, 1967
The petitioners also prayed to stay any further promotion of 38 officers till the final hearing and disposal of the petition even as the Court stated that the promotions based on the impugned seniority list, will be subject to the orders to be made in the petition.
Though the petitioners had made 49 promoted senior scale officers as respondents in addition to the Goa government, Department of Personnel and the Goa Public Service Commission (GPSC), 11 respondents who were direct recruits supported the cause of the petitioners.
After hearing both the parties, the Court disposed of the petition stating that the impugned seniority list cannot be a final seniority list inter se, between the promotees and the direct recruits, who would form the entire cadre of Junior Scale Officers
