The High Court on Thursday stayed the decision of the Calicut University Syndicate to regularise the services of temporary employees who had 10 years of service in the university.
The stay order came on a writ petition filed by Prasanth M. of Malappuram and three others challenging the decision of the Syndicate. The petitioners pointed out that the decision to regularise the service of the contract employees/temporary employees towards sanctioned posts was against the provisions of the Kerala Public Service Commission (Additional Functions as Respects the Service under the Universities) Act, 2015. As per section 3 of the Act, the selection and appointment by direct recruitment in the non-teaching posts of the university had to be conducted by the Public Service Commission.
‘Lack qualification’
When the petition came up for hearing, senior counsel for the petitioner George Poonthottam submitted that the decision was taken on political considerations. The government had issued various executive orders against engagement of contract employees for long period. In fact, the regularised persons did not have the requisite qualification and most of them were continuing on the basis of interim High Court orders.
The petitioners sought a directive to the university to report all the existing vacancies in the non-teaching posts to the PSC.
