The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought responses from Rajya Sabha secretary and the Centre on a PIL on alleged irregularities in the appointment of senior officers in the Rajya Sabha secretariat.
The plea had alleged irregularities in appointment of senior officers of the rank of joint secretary and above as well as the officer on special duty to Vice President Hamid Ansari and Rajya Sabha Television chief executive officer and the present secretary general Gurdeep Singh Sappal.
A division bench of Chief Justice G. Rohini and Justice R.S. Endlaw asked Rajya Sabha secretary and department of personnel and training to file a short affidavit on the issue by July 8.
The PIL filed by an NGO Centre for Public Interest Litigation through advocate Prashant Bhushan challenged the validity of clause 6 (A) of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat (Methods of Recruitment and Qualifications for Appointment) Order, 2009 and sought an order directing an inquiry into all the appointments made in the Rajya Sabha Secretariat since 2008.
Alleging that there is absence of rules, the PIL (Public Interest Litigation) sought a direction to government to follow Lok Sabha Recruitment and Conditions of Service Orders, for making appointments, both through deputation and promotion, for the posts of joint secretary and above in the Rajya Sabha till the rules were framed.
The NGO had earlier moved the Supreme Court but the apex court asked it to file plea before high court.