The Himachal Pradesh High Court today ordered a stay on the recruitment of conductors in Himachal Road Transport Corporation through HRTC employees Benevolent Fund Society.
A Division Bench comprising justices Rajiv Sharma and Tarlok Singh Chauhan passed these orders on a petition filed by Praveen Kumar, who had alleged that the society has recently invited applications for recruitment of 700 people under Passenger Service Delivery Skill Development Programme, which is a method devised by the government and HRTC to bypass an already pending writ petition before the high court challenging the process of recruitment of conductors in HRTC.
The petitioner alleged that the aim and object of the society is to work for the welfare of employees of HRTC only and conductor licence is mandatory for the applying for the post under the programme.
The petitioner also submitted that as per the provisions of Motor Vehicles Act, conductor licence is given to duly qualified persons and there can be no question to train an already trained licenced conductor under the programme and it is only a via media undertaken to overawe the orders of the high court in an already pending writ petition.
He also alleged that 30 seats were allowed for Palampur Regional Office, but 50 persons have been selected.
The petitioner termed it a colourable exercise fraught with favouritism and nepotism and sought directions to produce on record the list of selected candidates from other units of HRTC and order CBI inquiry into the case.
The court directed the government, HRTC and the HRTC Employees' Benevolent Fund Society to file reply within four weeks.
