Srinagar: The High Court of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Tuesday sought personal appearance of Chairman Service Selection Board for the ‘willful’ delay of the court directions on the matter related to selection process of Assistant Information Officers.
The court while hearing the contempt plea noted that the latest status report reveals that the Service Selection Board has conducted the written examination on 20 December, 2020 and no further progress is shown except reference is made of some representations of candidates regarding the answer key, which is referred to the Committee of experts.
The court recorded that the Board has taken eight long months to see the result of the representations, which amounts to delay in implementation of the direction passed by the court. Delay itself amounts to contempt of the court, it said.
“The court is not satisfied with the approach adopted by the respondents for implementation of the order, therefore, the Chairman, Service Selection Board, shall appear in person before the Court on the next date of hearing on 9 September,” it said.
Earlier, the petitioner candidates sought implementation of the final order passed by the Division Bench of the Court in LPA No. 184/2013 along with connected matter on 10 May 2013, in terms whereof while upholding the Judgment of the Single Bench, court had directed the respondent Board to proceed with the selection afresh, that is first to constitute the committees as required in terms of Rule 6(4) of the Rules of 2010 and then to fix the criteria in tune with Rule 14 of the rules of 2010.
“And finalize the process of selection with promptitude of the eligible candidates who have applied in response to the three aforesaid advertisement notices.”
The writ court in its verdict had concluded 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 in October 2011.
It had held the selection process invalid with the observation that the Board has sidelined the merit in the qualifying examination, as no credit has been given to higher qualification.
It 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.

NUSRAT SIDIQ