A Division Bench of the Madras High Court Bench in Madurai on Monday stayed the operation of an order passed by a single judge, who quashed a recent government order for appointing 28,596 persons as noon meal organisers, cooks, cook assistant, anganwadi workers, mini anganwadi workers and anganwadi helpers.
The Division Bench of Justice P.P.S. Janarthana Raja and Justice M. Duraiswamy granted interim stay for six weeks and posted the writ appeal, filed by the government, for further hearing on November 15.
Earlier, Advocate General A. Navaneethakrishnan contended there was no inherent illegality in the government order.
Disposing of a batch of writ petitions on October 1, the single judge had quashed the April 30 government order on the ground that filling the vacancies at the village level by giving preference to those residing within three km of the anganwadi centres was unconstitutional.
He had ordered district-wise selection of candidates in order to ensure equal opportunity for all.
However, arguing on behalf of the Social Welfare and Nutritious Meal Department Secretary, the Advocate General said that the single judge had erroneously quashed the G.O. passed on April 30 though none of the writ petitioners before him had challenged the G.O.
They were aggrieved only at appointment orders given in favour of others.
The AG also contended that the judge was under the mistaken impression that the April 30 G.O. laid down the procedures of recruitment though in reality they were listed under other G.Os, which were left untouched by the judge.
