SHILLONG: Heisar Passah of Jowai has approached the High Court of Meghalaya after the State Government denied him job for the post of ophthalmic assistant for 15 years and instead recruited a woman who was not eligible for the post.
In a writ petition filed before the High Court, Passah said he completed the course of ophthalmic assistant in 2004 from the Regional Institute of Paramedical and Nursing Sciences (RIPANS) in Aizawl on being sponsored Meghalaya Government for the academic session 2002-2003.
The petitioner after obtaining Diploma in Ophthalmic Technology from the RIPANS was looking for his appointment to the post of ophthalmic assistant in any of the state-run medical institutions.
According to the petition, Passah also submitted an application in February 2015 after he came to know about a vacancy but it was kept pending on the ground that no vacancy was available and it would be considered as and when the vacancy would arise.
The Petitioner also submitted that he had to wait for almost 15 years although there were some vacancies. An RTI reply revealed that the posts were filled but he was not given an appointment due to the discriminatory and arbitrary decision of the State Respondents.
The writ petition added that application for appointment to the post of Ophthalmic assistant submitted by Passah was to be considered by the State Respondents. In the meantime, the petitioner came to know that a woman Prious Sungoh, who is at present posted at Laskein CHC, got the job under the District Medical & Health Officer, West Jaintia -Hills, Jowai, despite being a non-technical person.
Passah said in the petition that it would have been his last chance of getting a government job as he would cross the upper age limit. He has suffered irreparable loss, hardship and injury for which the State Respondents are liable to pay adequate compensation.
The service of unqualified and undeserving candidates holding the post of ophthalmic assistant are liable to be terminated including the services of P Sungoh if she is at all not entitled to hold the post of Ophthalmic Assistant on account of her being non-technical and possessing no requisite qualification.
