Four positions in the planning department of the Greater Cochin Development Authority (GCDA) have been lying vacant following the agency’s alleged reluctance to appoint SC/ST candidates who topped the Kerala Public Service Commission (KPSC) examination for the post two years ago.
When three candidates approached the Kerala High Court in 2017, a division bench passed an interim order in March this year that the candidates must be provisionally appointed to the positions of town planning officers and deputy town planning officers. After the GCDA approached the Supreme Court citing lack of experience and qualifications as grounds for denying appointment to the candidates, the court stayed the interim order last week.
“According to a 1988 circular issued by the State government, SC/ST candidates are exempted from these experience and qualification requirements in appointments to public sector undertakings [PSUs],” said K. Somaprasad, Rajya Sabha MP, who has taken note of the matter. “If any PSU wants to make experience mandatory, it should amend this rule first,” he added.
GCDA Chairman V. Salim, however, contended that since the authority came into existence under the Town Planning Act, the 1988 circular, which applies to PSUs, does not apply to it.
“These are supervisory posts, and experience is mandatory — eight years for the post of town planning officer and five years for deputy town planning officer,” he said. The GCDA approached the KPSC to fill the vacancies in 2014, and candidates were recommended for appointment in 2017 for two posts of town planning officer and three posts of deputy town planning officer. “Throughout the application process, the KPSC told us that we were exempted from the experience requirement,” said Subhash S., who topped the exam for the post of town planning officer. “Despite having done my PG in planning and having around six years experience at the time of my interview, the GCDA did not take up my appointment,” he added. The first nine ranks on the list for town planning officer were won by SC/ST candidates.
“I had the experience required but was told during the screening process that it was not required. The first three ranks have gone to SC/ST category candidates, and we have approached the court and several officials for two years, but the appointment has still not been made,” said Leelavathy R., who topped the deputy town planning officer exam.
“This is discrimination of the highest grade. If these candidates are in the top ranks, they must have the calibre. It is up to the KPSC to verify their qualifications, but the GCDA is adamantly standing against their recommendation,” said B.S. Mavoji, Chairman of the Kerala State Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.
