The Bombay high court on Wednesday issued notices to the state government and former chief minister on a public interest litigation (PIL) challenging appointment of 12 sportspersons by the chief minister directly without following rules and regulations.
A division bench of justices NH Patil and BP Colabawalla issued the notices and kept the PIL by Sports and Physical Development Association for hearing after six weeks.
The judges have also sought clarification on whether it (government) had a policy by which the chief minister in 2011 directly recruited sportspersons in government jobs without following the proper procedure.
"If you have a policy of the CM directly recruiting sportspersons in government services, then place it before us. We will see if it (policy) is in consonance with the rules and regulations," said justice Patil.
Gunaratan Sadavarte, advocate for the petitioner, argued that as per rules and regulations for appointment of sportspersons in government jobs, the state has to first issue an advertisement inviting applications. They are then scrutinised and, after personal interviews, recruitment is done through the Maharashtra Public Service Commission.
According to the PIL, the CM appointed eight sportspersons in Class I category and four in Class II category on October 4, 2011. "Without following any procedure, the chief minister's office issued a press note, saying these appointments had been made," said Sadavarte.
Apart from violating rules and regulations, these appointments are contrary to a Supreme Court order. As per the SC order, in the Umadevi versus state of Karnataka case, there can't be "back-door entry" as far as government recruitments are concerned, argued Sadavarte.
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