Nomination to HCS okay but widen pool: HC

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court has suggested that the Haryana government consider calling candidates more than twice the number of vacancies for selection into coveted Haryana Civil Service (HCS) through nomination from its Group-C employees.

According to HC, this would ensure that the best and most talented persons are ultimately picked up from Group-C ministerial services to serve as HCS (EB) officers. This would inspire faith and public confidence in the selection process, if it is not to rust, observed the HC.

Justice Raina has passed these orders while upholding the selection of three Group-C employees as HCS officers through nomination by the Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government in July 2014. The matter had reached before the HC in the wake of a petition filed by Hisar-resident Bhajan Lal and others challenging the selection of three candidates, Bijender Singh, Surinder Pal and Ashutosh.

Rejecting the allegations of bias and nepotism, Justice Rajiv Narain also observed that in any selection there was always a margin of subjectivity and personal bias of the nominating authority or holder of office may play its part in whose hands fate of people depends but that should not be wide enough to admit strict judicial scrutiny.

“Man in power has inherent failings in taking objective and rational decisions not expected to act clinically as if he were sitting in a laboratory in utopia,” observed the judge.

Referring to rules, the petitioners said the state could call only six persons for interview for selection on three posts of HCS (executive branch) through nomination from Group-C employees. However, the state had called 29 candidates, which was more than twice the number of vacancies. Alleging nepotism, it was also submitted that before selecting the prestigious state civil services, Bijender, a native of the then CM’s village, was working as stenographer-cum-librarian in the prosecution department, Surinder was personal assistant to the principal officer on special duty (OSD) to the CM, Mahinder Singh Chopra, and Rajan was excise and taxation inspector. Rajan was also stated to be close to Chopra.

Hooda and Chopra had submitted that they had no interest in any candidate and the allegations against them were false. Dismissing the petition, the HC held that it is not that a part of the list was sent beyond twice the number of vacancies, but the entire list was sent to be fair to all the contestants, which is a facet of non-arbitrariness and non-discrimination.