Delaying applications for compassionate appointment is improper: Orissa HC

CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has held that it is improper to keep applications for compassionate appointment pending for years. The vacation bench of Justice SK Panigrahi ruled that if there is no suitable post for appointment, supernumerary post should be created to accommodate the applicants.

The observation came on Tuesday while the judge directed the State government to provide compassionate appointment within a period of three months to Pradip Kumar Sahoo and Biswajit Parida who had submitted applications in 2015 for it after the death of their fathers, both school teachers.

Sahoo and Parida had moved the court after the authorities concerned delayed in considering their cases in accordance to the Orissa Civil Service (Rehabilitation Assistance) Rules, 1990. As many as seven years had elapsed in this way.

Justice Panigrahi said, "The purpose of providing appointment on compassionate ground is to mitigate the hardship due to death of the bread earner in the family. Such appointment should, therefore, be provided immediately to redeem the family in distress."

"They have been waiting and on the other hand, the authorities have made mockery of the scheme by adopting a pick and choose policy. Seven years of delay in the present case just goes on to show the callousness of the authorities," he also observed.