Relief for petitioners as HC clears way for pending compassionate appointments

Guwahati, Apr 9: Setting aside the rejection of a set of compassionate appointments which have been put to challenge and are pending in the Gauhati High Court, a bench of Justice. Michawl Zothankhuma has ruled that the applications should be disposed of by the authorities on merit and not by taking recourse to the Office Memorandum of September 2024.

The Office Memorandum had done away with the scheme for compassionate appointment for all those family members of government servants who died in harness prior to April 2017.

"All the applications for compassionate appointment submitted by the petitioners shall be considered and disposed of by the concerned authorities on merit by taking into consideration the various guidelines prior to April 1,2017, laid down by the State Government for compassionate appointment and the judgements of the Supreme Court and the High Court," the order said, directing that the entire process for considering the various applications should be completed within six months.

The court said that the decisions to be taken by the authorities should be based on reasons, and the decision taken should be communicated to the petitioners thereafter.

"It is also directed that while deciding the applications for compassionate appointment, the respondents cannot take recourse to the impugned Office Memorandum dated September 18, 2024, though the judgement provided therein, i.e., the case of Debabrata Tiwari (supra), can be considered/applied by the concerned authorities. It is again made clear that this order shall only apply to cases that are pending before this court as on April 3, 2025," the order said.

 By

Staff Reporter