HC directs govt to revise ASO seniority list based on appointment date
1
2
Cuttack: Orissa high court has directed the state govt to revise the seniority list of assistant section officers (ASOs)in the Odisha Secretariat Service, impacting hundreds of employees.
The vacation bench's verdict settles a long-standing dispute concerning seniority among two batches of ASOs — direct recruits appointed through two separate advertisements and between promotees and direct recruits.
Further, the verdict brings clarity to service-related disputes that lingered for years while providing relief to employees who were appointed earlier but placed lower in the final gradation list of ASOs published on June 11, 2020.
A total of 10 writ petitions were clubbed together for hearing, categorised into two groups. The first group, comprising seven petitions, involved a dispute between two sets of direct recruits: one recruited under Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC)'s advertisement no. 06 dated May 14, 2015, for ST category candidates (140), and another (811) under advertisement no. 08 of Oct 6, 2012. The second group of three petitions involved disputes between promotees and direct recruits.
The HC noted that although advertisement no. 6 was issued earlier, appointments from the list were delayed until Oct 2016 due to legal hurdles and administrative delays. In contrast, candidates under the 2015 advertisement were appointed earlier — on Jan 27 and May 18, 2016.
In the judgment on June 3, the vacation bench of Justice B P Routray upheld the principle that seniority in govt service should be based on the actual date of appointment, not the date of the recruitment advertisement or recommendation — unless a rule explicitly states otherwise.
Justice Routray ruled that ASOs appointed earlier in 2016 under advertisement no. 6 must be placed above those appointed later in the same year under advertisement no. 8 in the final gradation list published on June 11, 2020.
Justice Routray further ruled that promotees must be treated as en-bloc seniors to the direct recruits of the same calendar year. Accordingly, Justice Routray ordered the home department to revise the ASO gradation list in line with the HC's directives, ensuring that seniority reflects the actual date of appointment. The judgment reinforced a key service jurisprudence, "He who is appointed earlier, ranks earlier.
"
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Eid wishes
,
messages
, and
quotes
!
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
an hour ago
- Business Standard
People 'disappointed' with announcement of B'desh polls in April 2026: BNP
People are "disappointed" by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus's announcement to hold elections in April 2026, Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) said on Saturday, asserting that April is not the "right time" to conduct polls. The party reiterated its demand for polls by December this year. "April is not the right time for polls in Bangladesh in any way, BNP Secretary-General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir told journalists. His statement came a day after Yunus, during a televised address to the nation on the eve of the Eid-ul-Adha festival, announced that national elections would be held in the first half of April next year. Yunus' announcement was followed by an urgent virtual meeting of the standing committee of former prime minister Khaleda Zia's BNP, presided over by the party's acting chairman and Zia's son Tarique Rahman from London. In a statement, the BNP said Yunus' address meant an unwarranted delay in arranging the election, adding that it ignored the nation's aspirations, causing people disappointment and anger. The meeting concluded that the election in early April could lead to complications -- both due to adverse weather conditions and the challenges of conducting campaigns and election-related activities during Ramadanwhich may ultimately be used as grounds for deferring the polls. Reiterating the party's proposal to hold the election by December this year, it said the chief adviser's address did not provide any clear justification as to why conducting the election by then would not be feasible. The BNP statement alleged despite being a non-partisan interim government, the Yunus administration put its own neutrality into question by becoming influenced by a particular political quarter, an oblique reference to the student-led National Citizen Party (NCP). According to the statement, the scenario suggests the interim government compromises its neutrality and raises public concerns over the possibility of a free and fair election. The meeting believes the people of the country may be rightly concerned about the possibility of a free and fair election under this government, it said. It said Yunus, in his speech, touched upon issues like ports and corridors topics that did not fall within the interim government's three mandates - justice, reform and elections. The meeting expressed anger at his choice of words in the speech, which crossed the limits of political decorum, the statement said. Yunus, who took charge after the ouster of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League regime in August last year, said the interim government's key responsibility was to hold a clean, peaceful, festive, and inclusive election. Yunus's announcement comes amid mounting pressure from the BNP and several other groups to hold the election by December. The NCP and several rightwing groups, however, said the polls must wait until the reforms and justice were done.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Bangladesh Army Chief Meets Muhammad Yunus Along With Navy Chief
Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman and the Navy Chief Admiral M Nazmul Hassan met Chief Adviser of Bangladesh's Government, Professor Muhammad Yunus, on Eid-ul-Azha. This comes a day after Mr Yunus announced that elections will be held in the country in the first half of April next year. The Army and Navy chiefs, along with their wives, met Prof Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna, said the Chief Adviser's Deputy Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad Majumder. While it was described as a courtesy meeting on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha, there is speculation over what was discussed, especially as the Army Chief said elections should be held by December. The Bangladesh Army in a post said, "On the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Adha, Chief of Army Staff General Wakar-uz-Zaman, SBP, OSP, SGP, psc, along with his spouse, paid a courtesy call on with the Hon'ble Chief Advisor Professor Muhammad Yunus today at the State Guest House Jamuna. During the meeting, they exchanged Eid greetings and conveyed wishes for mutual well-being." Chief of Army Staff Pays Eid Courtesy Call on with the Hon'ble Chief Advisor Dhaka, 07 June 2025 (Saturday): On the occasion of the holy Eid-ul-Adha, Chief of Army Staff General Wakar-uz-Zaman, SBP, OSP, SGP, psc, along with his spouse, paid a courtesy call on with the Hon'ble… — Bangladesh Army (@BDArmyOfficial) June 7, 2025 Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the major political party, has reiterated that it wants elections by December and said April is not suitable for polls. BNP secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir said April is not appropriate for the national elections in the country and added it was possible to hold the election in December, which would be best for the nation. Muhammad Yunus has been accused by critics of wanting to hold on to power without facing elections and without a political mandate. Earlier, the interim government had announced a vague timeline of December 2025 to June 2026. During his address to the nation on Friday, Mr Yunus announced elections will be held in the first half of April next year, effectively giving him another year in office.
India.com
an hour ago
- India.com
Condemn This So-Called Bangladesh Election...: Awami League Leader Rabbi Alam
Rabbi Alam, Chairman of Joy Bangla Brigade and vice president of Bangladesh Awami League, USA, has condemned the announcement of national election by the interim government of Bangladesh and maintained that Sheikh Hasina "is the duly elected Prime Minister" till 2029. In an interview with ANI, Alam slammed Muhammad Yunus, the Chief Advisor of the interim government of Bangladesh, for announcing that a national election would be held in the first half of April 2026. Sheikh Hasina, president of Awami League, was ousted from power in a student-led uprising in August last year. She fled to India, and an interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, a Nobel Laureate, was formed. "As you know, Bangladesh went through was a false flag operation. The protest led by the students was hijacked by (people now in) the interim government headed by Dr Yunus," Rabbi Alam alleged. Rabbi Alam said "many false allegations, many false claims, empty promises" were made. He said the announcement of a national election is "like a lollipop being handed to a young child". Rabbi Alam said Bangladesh is to be run by a democratic form of government. "Our constitution is the core of the fundamentals of the nation and this constitution gives the rights. Sheikh Hasina is democratically elected. We will condemn this so-called election because, according to our constitution, Sheikh Hasina is the Prime Minister until 2029. People are the main powerhouse in a democratic form of government. People voted, elected Sheikh Hasina...," he said. "With a false flag operation, Dr Yunus robbed our democracy," he alleged. He expressed concern over the law and order situation in Bangladesh and blamed Muhammad Yunus. "We know that the country faced a heavy backlash. There are many incidents of rape, killing, arson, burning, fire. Lynching, mob justice is every day matter," he alleged. He also said that Dr Yunus "doesn't understand politics" and "is an economist". Bangladesh's interim government on Friday announced that the national election will be held in the first half of April 2026. "I am announcing to the countrymen today that the next national elections will be held sometime in the first half of April 2026. Based on this announcement, the Election Commission will provide you with a detailed roadmap for the elections in due course", said Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser to the interim government of Bangladesh, in an address to the nation through state television, BTV, on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha. Political parties in Bangladesh have expressed mixed reactions to the announcement of the national election.
