SANJULATA GIRI Vs. STATE OF ORISSA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) INITIALLY four petitioners filed this Writ Application praying for a direction directing the opposite parties to appoint them as Anganwadi Workers after quashing the order under Annexure -3. During pendency of the Writ Application, Petitioner No. 4 having expired, her name has been deleted from the cause title of this case. The Petitioner No. 3 has also been absorbed as Anganwadi Worker, in the meantime. Thus, this petition is confined to the Petitioner Nos. 1 and 2.

(2.) PURSUANT to an advertisement inviting applications for appointment to the post of Anganwadi Workers (100 posts), by the Child Development Project Officer, Champua (Annexure -1), more than 700 applications were received. The petitioners were also applicants for the said post. After scrutiny of the applications, the petitioner being found eligible received call letters to attend the interview and were also directed to produce the original documents at the time of interview. By letter dated 5.2.1996 under Annexure -2, the petitioners were intimated to have been selected for appointment as Anganwadi Workers and were directed to report for duty within ten days from the date of receipt of the said order. Further case of the petitioners is that when they reported before the Child Development Project Officer to join in their duties, they were not allowed to join and they were told that by letter dated 7.2.1996, Opp. Party No. 5 has kept all appointments pursuant to Annexure -2, in abeyance. The said letter dated 7.2.1996 (Annexure -3) also indicated that the Government has taken a decision not to give effect to the offer of appointments to the candidates who were selected in the interview. Initially, it appears that the petitioners approached the Administrative Tribunal but ultimately as their application was found to be not maintainable before the said Tribunal, they have filed the present Writ Petition.

(3.) A counter affidavit has been filed on behalf of the opposite parties, inter alia, stating that since there were allegations of irregularity in the process of selection of Anganwadi Workers at Champua ICDS, the State Government vide Annexure -4 directed to stop the engagement. The Addl. District Magistrate, Keonjhar as per direction of the Government, conducted an enquiry into the matter. It is further stated in the counter affidavit that due to the stay order passed in the Original Application No. 959(C)/96 by the State Administrative Tribunal as no further recruitment was made and the project for Supplementary Nutrition Programme and for Pre -School Education suffered serious set back, the Collector, Keonjhar, directed to issue appointment letters to seven centres with respect to which there was no report of irregularity.