By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Public Service Commission (MPSC) has decided to stop recommending for issuing of appointments in excess of the vacancies advertised for.
“We have taken this decision in accordance with the Supreme Court ruling earlier this year. The apex court ruling disallowed the Commission from recommending appointment more than the number of posts advertised,” MPSC chairman Ashok Kumar Tigidi informed reporters here on Wednesday.
He informed that the MPSC, in the past, had been recommending more than the actual number of vacant posts advertised for.
If there are more vacancies then what was advertised, fresh advertisement is required to be published to fill up the remaining number of vacancies, Tigidi informed.
“The Court upheld the view that filling up of vacancies over the advertised number of post would violate the Fundamental Rights under Article 14/16 of the Constitution,” he said.
Quoting para 10 of the apex court judgement, he said, “It is well established that an authority cannot make any selection /appointment beyond the number of post advertised even if there were a larger number of posts available than those advertised.”
Meanwhile, MPSC decision is likely to affect those candidates who have successfully cleared the examination conducted by the Commission in 2008 for appointment as Lower Division Assistant (LDA) against advertisement for vacancies in the State Secretariat.
There are over 30 candidates who are still awaiting appointment even though their candidature would be lapsed next month.
“We have lost five valuable years despite clearing our examination after passing the MPSC exam and were just awaiting our recruitment and now with our candidature getting lapsed many of us have crossed the maximum age limit without getting a job,” one of the candidates said.
Meanwhile, a senior official of the Secretariat Administration Department (SAD) said that the advertisement was for 45 posts against which the MPSC had recommended more than 100 candidates.
“Out of those who have been recommended for appointment, more than 100 have been absorbed while others are still awaiting appointment,” the official said.
Maintaining that the department would not have any problem in recommending extension of their candidature, he, however, said that a final call can be taken only by the MPSC.
