HC Relief For 49 Applicants Barred From OPSSB Posts In Odisha

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has directed the Odisha Police State Selection Board (OPSSB) to allow 49 candidates barred for upper age limit criteria to submit their application forms and participate in the recruitment process for 1,360 posts of sepoys and constables in 16 different battalions.

Notably, the OPSSB had invited applications for the posts with minimum 18 years and maximum 23 years age limit through an advertisement issued on August 29, 2024. October 22 is the last date for submission of applications.

The 49 candidates had filed a petition challenging the advertisement on the ground that though recruitment for the posts of sepoys/constables in 16 different battalions was last held in 2018, no upper age relaxation was given for those who had crossed the 23 years age limit during these six years.

The petitioners sought direction to the OPSSB to permit them to submit their application forms and allow them to appear in the open competitive recruitment examination 2024-25.

Granting relief, the single judge bench of Justice Sashikanta Mishra on Friday ordered, “The petitioners shall be permitted to apply in the online/offline mode pursuant to the advertisement dated 22.09.2024 and also participate in the recruitment process.”

Their results, however, shall not be declared without obtaining leave of this court, Justice Mishra said in the interim order and posted further hearing on the matter to November 22. The petitioners belong to General, SEBC, SC and ST categories.

While issuing notices returnable within four weeks, Justice Mishra took on record submissions of the petitioner counsel for relaxation of the upper age limit by amending and modifying eligibility clause in the August 29, 2024 advertisement by taking into consideration Covid-19 pandemic,

Odisha Civil Service (Fixation of Upper Age Limit) Rules 1989 and Order 21 of Odisha Battalion Service (Method of Recruitment and Conditions of Service of Sepoys, Constables, Havildars and ASI (Armed) Order 2022), which provide relaxation clause.

As per the Orissa Civil Service (Fixation of Upper Age Limit) Rules, 1989 as amended in 2022, the upper age limit for all state government service was fixed at 32 years. But OPSSB has fixed 23 years as upper age limit for recruiting sepoys and constables, said the petitioners.