Team Herald
PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has issued notices to Goa government and others for altering seniority list by the Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services.
The notices were issued while hearing a writ petition filed by Deputy Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services Dr Veena Kumar. The petitioner has challenged the final seniority list dated June 25, 2024 by overlooking the seniority list dated May 30, 2024. The final seniority list has resulted in the petitioner reporting to her junior Dr Nitin Naik, which was unfair and discriminatory vis-a-vis the petitioner.
The petitioner has prayed to withdraw/cancel/revoke the order and further direct the government to issue orders appointing her to hold the charge of the Director on officiating basis, being senior-most officer after her reposting from the Goa Meat Complex Limited.
The government had earlier issued orders to Dr Veena Kumar to take charge of the Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Service being the most seniormost officer in the head office.
The petitioner was appointed as Veterinary Officer (VO), Group B Gazetted post on ad-hoc basis vide order dated September 20, 1991 which was later regularised and confirmed in the post of the V.O. vide order dated September 9, 2011. She was promoted as Assistant Director (Group A Gazetted) on regular basis through an order dated January 31, 2019 and was placed on seniority at Serial No. 2.
The petitioner has claimed that being the senior-most officer, she was entitled to take the additional charge of the Director in place of Dr Naik. This has not happened yet after Volvoikar relinquished his charge as Director of AHVS. This has resulted into the petitioner reporting to her junior Dr Naik, an embarrassing situation and arbitrary and discriminatory towards her.