Orissa HC Rejects Plea Against Centre’s Move For Appointment Of SVNIRTAR Director

Cuttack: The Orissa High Court has rejected the petition of director, Swami Vivekananda National Institute for Rehabilitation, Training and Research (SVNIRTAR), Cuttack, Dr Sakti Prasad Das seeking the court’s intervention to allow him to continue in the job on deputation and quash the Centre’s advertisement for appointment to the post.

Hearing the appeal petition of Dr Das, a division bench of he court comprising Chief Justice Dr S Muralidhar and Justice AK Mohapatra upheld the order of the single judge bench of the court in this regard and said no person has the right to continue on deputation for a period beyond what was envisaged in the advertisement.

Earlier, the single judge bench of Justice Dr BR Sarangi had rejected the petition of Dr Das in this regard. As per the petition, Dr Das was appointed as an Assistant  Professor/General Duty Medical Officer (PMR), SVNIRTAR on January 18, 1995 by due process of selection.

On January 27, 2016, he was selected and appointed by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities on deputation to the post of Director, SVNIRTAR for 3 years. Later, the deputation was extended for 2 years.

As his deputation was coming to an end on January 27, 2021, the petitioner wrote to the the Ministry to extend his deputation period as the DOPT memorandum had revised the deputation for government employees to maximum period of 7 years. While his representation was pending, the Ministry issued an order allowing him to continue in the post till appointment of a regular Director or further orders.

Meanwhile, the Ministry released an advertisement for recruitment of regular Director of SVNIRTAR. It was challenged by Dr Das in the high court.

After hearing the petition, the court ruled that it merits no consideration and dismissed it. The high court also directed the Ministry to proceed with its advertisement for regular recruitment of Director, SVNIRTAR, Cuttack.