By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 29: The North-Eastern Hill University Teachers’ Association (NEHUTA) has moved the High Court of Meghalaya, challenging the appointment of Prof Brinda Bazeley Kharbirymbai as part-time Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO), alleging violation of prescribed procedures and statutory norms.
The court, after hearing a writ petition on Wednesday, granted two weeks’ time to the respondents to file their reply. NEHUTA president Lakhon Kma told reporters that they had objected to the appointment from the outset, claiming that the process bypassed mandatory guidelines laid down by the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and endorsed by the Ministry of Education.
“The appointment of a part-time CVO must be made from a panel of three eligible candidates, whose credentials are vetted and approved by the CVC. In this case, there was no panel, no transparent selection process—only a direct nomination, which clearly violates established guidelines,” Kma said.
He further alleged that the deviation from due process raises serious concerns over transparency and institutional accountability.
“The CVO is expected to function independently and, if required, even scrutinise the actions of the Vice-Chancellor. Such independence is compromised if the appointment itself lacks transparency and due procedure,” Kma stated.
He emphasised that the prescribed mechanism exists to ensure fairness and equal opportunity among eligible candidates.
“You cannot cherry-pick a vigilance officer. The process must ensure fairness, transparency, and independence. Otherwise, it defeats the very purpose of having a CVO to check corruption and irregularities,” Kma said.
He noted that NEHUTA had advised its members not to accept such appointments, citing procedural violations. However, as this appointment went ahead, the association was compelled to seek judicial intervention.
Kma termed the appointment “illegal” and urged the court to set it aside, stating that the laid-down procedure was not followed and that the integrity of the vigilance mechanism must be upheld.
