Editor,
How one wishes that the recent judgment passed by the Allahabad High Court is reverberated in our Hon’ble Meghalaya High Court regarding employment on compassionate grounds to a married daughter. What is intended to highlight here is the case of one Ms. Vimla Srivastava Vrs State of UP and others, where the former had taken to legal recourse for being rejected by the UP government considering her to be ineligible for compassionate appointment following the untimely demise of her father while in active government service. The government placed before the Court all the extant governing rules and binding guidelines that deny a married daughter from claiming any compassionate appointment in case of death in harness of parents/guardians etc. However, the High Court would not buy such contentions but steadfastly maintained that denying such appointments is markedly violative of Articles 14 and 15 of our Constitution. The Court held the view that irrespective of life’s status, a married daughter is to be regarded as a family member of a deceased government employee just like a son, married or unmarried. Hence, the Court’s final verdict was that the said married daughter was to be issued appointment letter within two months.
To give credence to this context of argument, several Hon’ble High courts of India like Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh besides others have likewise taken their State governments to task for having refused to accord compassionate appointments to married daughters. The Karnataka High Court had ruled, ”Excluding married daughters from seeking benefit of compassionate appointment is unconstitutional”; And the Uttarkhand High Court’s verdict was:”Married daughter always a family member like married son”. Then to top it all, Himachal Pradesh High Court has sarcastically commented: “State cannot act in a misogynistic way”.
I, for one, do visualize that before long our Hon’ble Meghalaya High Court would also ditto juristic action like the High Courts afore-said, when there are many, if not thousands, of such victimized daughters in our State who have been outrightly denied appointments. Co-incidentally, while referring to an instance at hand, in one of the establishments of Government of Meghalaya, i.e., the Agriculture department, an office driver had expired in 2007 and thereafter the deceased’s married daughter had applied for compassionate appointment when the same was prevalent before being abrogated in 2010. However, her application was flatly rejected by the Government on the premise that she has since married. Having no other option, and additionally being destitute as she was, she had approached the Meghalaya State Legal Services Authority when the current Hon’ble Mr. Justice W. Diengdoh was its Member Secretary. This office had gracefully accepted the petition and duly appointed an Advocate to contest the case but for reasons best know to the latter it was thought that a case pertaining to such a compassionate appointment was not worth challenging in Meghalaya vis-à-vis the existing rigid official rules and regulations. Nonetheless, the said daughter didn’t lose hope as she had conveyed a letter to the then Hon’ble Chief Justice of Meghalaya High Court on December 8, 2016. However, it was given to understand that no reciprocation was made to date; hence the petition to explore justice for that married daughter has since been left in limbo.
I, therefore, hope that with the latest Allahabad High Court ruling on married daughters and appointment on compassionate grounds the same would similarly resonate in our Hon’ble Meghalaya High Court in as much as the issue in question violates Articles 14 and 15 of the Constitution.
Yours etc.,
Jerorme K. Diengdoh,
Via email
Thanking MeECL, DC and others
Editor,
While gratitude is one step towards divinity, ingratitude is just the opposite. So, I do sincerely express my gratitude to MeECL, more particularly the Chief Managing Director, who had promptly resolved the frequent power-cut issues at Upper Mawprem and its adjoining areas. Soon after the publication of the letter “Frequent power-cuts and recharging MeECL” (ST Jan 26, 2021), the CMD himself had called a number of meetings for four hours, as informed to this writer, to take full stock of the situation. He directed the concerned departments to resolve the electricity disruptions with utmost urgency. This is highly admirable.
Incidentally, I also take this opportunity to thank other authorities like the Deputy Commissioner, authorities of PWD, Shillong Municipality, Health Departments et al who have taken prompt initiatives to address the various issues of public concerns when my letters have appeared in The Shillong Times.
However, all credit goes to the Editorial team of the Shillong Times. Without media support, my objective of drawing the attention of the concerned authorities would not have been possible. I have understood now that without whistle-blowers, and the watchdog role of the media, the public will “continue to suffer” and democracy will be just a farce. It is regrettable that the majority of people/consumers still choose to remain “silent” and suffer endlessly. This is nothing but an encouragement to the unscrupulous and the perpetuation of many other social ills.
Yours etc.,
Salil Gewali,
Shillong
What’s with the MPSC!
Editor,
The main function of the MPSC is to conduct examinations and interviews and to publish results at the earliest, leaving no room for manipulation. If the Commission chooses to it can and should resist all forms of political pressure to illegally make someone pass at the cost of meritorious candidates. This has been the modus operandi for several years, thereby creating doubts as to the merit of all those who have been appointed in the past especially in the MCS and MPS. It is such a shame that Meghalaya – a state created to serve the people better has turned out to be a monster that serves only those with political clout. There has been no transparency in the functioning of the MPSC in the past and there isn’t any today. Political appointees to the Commission will never dare to stand their ground. This is a very bitter message sent out to the youth of the state. The message is – you may be hard working and meritorious but if you have no godfather/godmother you are doomed. No wonder administration at the Block and district levels is so decadent. Cry my Meghalaya cry.. Wow lah shet ka tieh pong deng bad la kjit u nam sarang (this is for my Khasi friends)
Yours etc.,
Mangkara Phanbuh,
Vi email