Bangalore: HC Expresses Unhappiness Over CM’s Style of Functioning
Daijiworld Media Network – Bangalore (SP)
Bangalore, Sep 15: “We wonder how appointments can be made to aided institutions without the concurrence of the Chief Minister, who heads the state government. If these appointments were not brought to his notice, can we deem that he does not have control over the ministry and the government? If it had come to his notice that irregularities were taking place in the recruitments to Hassan and Mysore medical colleges, he could have sorted out the matter by holding discussions with the officials concerned and the ministers in the preliminary stages itself. The fact that this issue has come to court, is not appreciated,” the state High Court (HC) commented on Tuesday September 14, while hearing a batch of writ petitions filed by the non-teaching staff of Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences and Mysore Institute of Medical Sciences, who are fighting against the cancellation of their appointments by the government at one go.
Justice Ram Mohan Reddy, who is the presiding officer of the bench hearing the writ petitions, made these comments, before saying that an interim order in the case would be announced on Wednesday. While expressing the opinion that it would be prudent to appoint the dismissed employees on contract basis till the final verdict in the case is pronounced, he asked the government and the governing councils of the above colleges to clarify their stand before the interim orders are issued.
The HC observed that the case proves that the government has no control whatsoever over the aided institutions. “If this is not the case, how can they take decisions on recruitments and such other issues, without consulting the government?” it wondered. While opining that the government’s decision to cancel all the appointments without providing an opportunity to the governing councils of these colleges to spell out their stands was improper, Justice Reddy said that the very initiative taken to nullify the entire recruitment process smells of something fishy. While commenting that essential services to the people should be the first priority of the government and noting that the services of medical staff are of paramount importance, the HC objected to reasons put forth by the government like it faces financial crunch, and that it needs to pay compensation to those who died in the floods. “Take care of the living first, before worrying about the dead,” it said curtly.
At the same time, the state government stuck to its stand on the cancellation of the said appointments, asserting that it has done the right thing, as irregularities in appointments had been proved. There is no indication of any softening of it stance by the state government, when the case comes up before the HC again on Wednesday.