Madras High Court tells TN govt to reconsider appointments on compassionate grounds

CHENNAI:  Finding illegal and irregular practices in appointments on compassionate grounds of the legal heirs of deceased government staff, the Madras High Court directed the State government to reconsider the scheme to provide such employment.

" ... The respondents in the present writ petition have to look into the scheme of compassionate appointment as of prevailing in the State of Tamil Nadu and reconsider the same by taking note of the Union government's scheme of compassionate appointment," said Justice SM Subramaniam while dismissing a petition filed by a woman seeking employment after her husband, a temporary govt staff, died.

The judge noted in a recent order that a review of the scheme was warranted on account of the fact that many public servants were working with different departments of  TN government and a large number of deaths were being reported. Under these circumstances, TN should think as to whether it was possible to provide appointment on compassionate grounds to such a large number of candidates.

He suggested restricting compassionate appointments by considering only the genuine and more deserving families after thorough inquiries regarding their indigent circumstances since tahsildars issued indigent certificates without holding proper field inquiries.

Noting that "illegal and irregular practices" were being followed in compassionate appointments for "extraneous considerations", Justice Subramaniam directed the secretary and commissioner of the labour and employment department to look into the seriousness involved in public employment under constitutional schemes and initiate all appropriate steps to review the scheme of compassionate appointments in a "practical and pragmatic" manner so as to provide the job only to the deserving families.