Hyderabad: Making it clear that appointments in employment under the sports quota should be given on the basis of merit in sports, and not on the basis of marks obtained in the qualifying examination, the Telangana High Court has directed the state government to redo the selection process of appointments for the posts of junior panchayat secretaries under the sports quota by cancelling the appointments already made.
Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao gave these directions when deciding the contempt case alleging that the state government had violated the assurance given to the court on the procedure it will follow in the appointments under two per cent sports quota in employment.
The rules mention that the basis of making appointments under the sports quota must be merit in the sport concerned together with the level of participation in international/national/state events.
However, appointments had been made on the basis of merit in the qualifying examination, which is contrary to the rules.
Petitions had been filed before the High Court questioning this.
With the government giving an assurance that the prescribed rules will be followed in filling up posts under the sports quota, the court had disposed of the petitions.
However, a contempt case was filed alleging that the court’s order was not complied with in spite of the assurance given by the commissioner of panchayat raj and rural employment.
Violating the rules and the undertaking given to the court, the panchayat raj department had filled 98 of 172 posts of junior panchayat secretaries under the sports quota.
The court noticed that there was prima facie violation of the undertaking given to the court and had directed appearance of the commissioner of panchayat raj department.
