RAJ KUMAR
Ranchi, Oct.25: Jharkhand High Court today expressed its concern over the continuation of contract appointments in the state.
The situation came when 65 contract assistant professors of different universities turned up before the court demanding a stay on the process of contract appointment started with the publication of advertisement to the effect in March 2021.
Even 20 years after the constitution of Jharkhand appointment is being done on a contract basis, which is in violation of orders of the Supreme Court and High Court, Justice Dr S.N. Pathak commented on hearing the petition. This (contract appointment) is not happening in only the education department but other departments also, he further commented.
With this comment, Justice Dr Pathak made all universities parties in the case and directed its authorities to furnish data regarding created and vacant posts of assistant professors in the universities across the state. He also asked about the number of persons working against these posts. With the direction, the court fixed the next date of hearing December 15, and asked to furnish all data on that day.
Earlier, appearing on behalf of contract assistant professors, Chanchal Jain said that professors are working on a contract basis since 2017 and now the government has started the process of appointment on a contract basis through an advertisement published in March this year.
Contract appointment has always been a matter of concern for the state government. 14 months ago a high power committee comprising development commissioner as its chairman and finance secretary and personnel department secretary as its two members was constituted. But so far the committee never sat and often problems related to contract appointments are being raised in different ways.
