Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Feb 25: As the Service Selection Board (SSB) has failed to conclude the process of selection despite court directions, the High Court today sought compliance with regard to filling up of posts of Assistant Information Officers (AIOs) by the SSB within two weeks.
The Division Bench of Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and Justice M Akram Chowdhary after submitting by the petitioner counsel that despite lapse of two months, nothing has been done with regard to process of selection of posts in question directed the SSB to file compliance within two weeks in this regard.
It is noted here that the court while closing the earlier contempt petition in December last year against the Board had directed to conclude the selection process of AIOs preferably within one month.
Court had given liberty to the petitioner to approach the court again in the event any grievance qua the implementation of the basic judgment remains. In the basic verdict, court had declared the selection process of 29 Assistant information officers by SSB as invalid and had directed for fresh selection to these posts.
Aggrieved Candidates who had challenged the 2013 selection list issued by SSB by way of a writ petition and after discussing various aspects of the case, the writ court in its judgment had concluded that prejudice to petitioners due to the change in criteria in the middle of the selection process and methodology on the date of the Aptitude test and interview held by the Board on October 2011.
The writ court had directed the SSB to finalize the process of selection with promptitude of the eligible candidates who have applied in response to three the advertisement notices issued in the year 2006, 2008 and 2010 inviting application for the posts of Assistant Information Officer Grade-II and thereafter the board issued a provisional selection list on 21 January 2012 which has been nullified by the court.
The writ court in this connection had asked the board first to constitute the committees as required in terms of law (Rule 6(4) of the Rules of 2010) and fix the criteria in tune with Rule 14 of the Rules of 2010.
The SSB had issued three different notifications in 2006, 2008 and 2010, inviting applications for the posts of Assistant Information Officer Grade-II. Subsequently, the SSB issued a provisional selection list on 21 January 2012.
Subsequently the writ court judgment has been challenged before and the division bench in May 2013 had upheld the single bench verdict about the invalidity of provisional selection of 29 AIOs and had directed the recruiting agency to proceed with the selection process afresh in conformity with the rules.
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