HC issues notices to 135 adhoc appointees in U’khand assembly secretariat

The Uttarakhand high has issued notices to 135 adhoc appointees in the state assembly secretariat over alleged favouritism and violation of norms during their appointments.

They were appointed in 2016 during tenure of then legislative assembly speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal.

The high court also has issued notice to the secretary assembly secretariat and asked all the parties to reply within three weeks, said Vinay Kumar, counsel for petitioner Haldwani-based Charu Bhat.

Kumar said the petition was filed by Bhat on Monday and it came for hearing in the single bench of justice Lok Pal Singh on Tuesday.

He said the petitioner has alleged that 154 adhoc appointments were made in the assembly secretariat just on the basis of applications without the issuing of advertisement for the same.

Kumar said the petition had alleged that favouritism in the appointments and gross violation of the norms, especially article 14 and 16 of the Constitution.

The lawyer said though 154 appointees had been mentioned in the petition, notices were issued only to 135 as rest of the appointees are on gazetted positions.

In 2016, another PIL had been filed in the high court by Rajesh Chandola, a resident of Bageshwar district, alleging irregularities in appointments in the assembly secretariat in the same year.