Nityanand Dubey
Garhwa
The Jharkhand High Court’s interim stay on the state government’s decision to cancel recruitments made through the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission’s Combined Graduate Level (JSSC CGL) examination has brought legal relief to affected employees, but dozens of appointees in Garhwa district are still waiting to resume duty.
Weeks after the court’s order, employees appointed through the JSSC CGL recruitment are yet to be allowed to return to their respective offices, with the district administration citing the absence of fresh instructions from the state Personnel Department.
Sources said the district administration has not received any formal communication or directive from the department following the High Court’s interim order. As a result, employees whose appointments were cancelled following the government’s decision remain in a state of uncertainty despite the judicial relief.
The issue has also affected the functioning of several departments in the district, with a number of posts remaining vacant. Officials have reportedly not assigned additional charge to many of the affected posts, raising concerns over the delivery of administrative and public services.
Deputy Collector (Establishment) Devanand Ram said he was aware of the High Court’s order but indicated that further action could be taken only after receiving instructions from the Personnel Department.
Among the posts affected in Garhwa are 11 block welfare officers, 16 block supply officers, six labour enforcement officers and a kanungo-cum-circle inspector in the Land Acquisition Department. Circle inspector posts in Garhwa, Dandai, Ranka, Bhandaria, Chinia, Bhawanathpur and Kharaundhi are also among those affected.
The government had on August 18 cancelled 22 recruitment examinations and appointments, including the JSSC CGL, amid protests over alleged irregularities in the recruitment process. The decision subsequently affected employees who had already secured appointments through the examination and had begun working in different parts of the state.
The contrast in the handling of different cases has also raised questions within the district administration. District Food Security Officer Deep Srivastava and two other food security officers were reinstated within days after the department issued directions. Only two days of casual leave were deducted from their service records for the period during which they remained out of duty.
The swift reinstatement of the food security officers has led to questions over why similar action has not been taken in the case of other JSSC CGL appointees following the High Court’s interim relief.
With the court having intervened in the matter, affected employees and their families are now awaiting clarity from the state government and the Personnel Department on when they will be formally permitted to resume their duties.
