Engineers' appointment: SC gives go-ahead to KPSC

The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed the Karnataka Public Service Commission to go ahead with appointment of over 400 posts of assistant/junior engineers in Karnataka.

A bench of Justices J S Khehar and Arun Mishra asked the Commission to declare results by January 31, 2015.

The court, which stayed the announcement of results on November 25, said the selection process must be completed on time. The court rejected a plea contending that the conditions including new reservation policy stipulated in the KPSC notification of August 28 this year for appointment of engineers, put hundreds of those working on ad-hoc basis since 1993 in the risk of losing their absorption.

Some of the 417 assistant/junior Engineers appointed on adhoc/contract basis in 1993-94 by the Karnataka government for Upper Krishna Project had approached the apex court challenging the notification.

“It is not possible to accept the contention of petitioners, who claimed by revised notification of August 25, the KPSC had changed the eligibility criteria and insisted on reservation as prevalent on February 11, 1999,” the court said.

The bench said that the apex court's order passed on December 14, 2012, must be implemented in letter and spirit. The apex court had then ordered that any person who has been working on ad hoc basis and was eligible at the initial time of his appointment, can apply in pursuance of any advertisement made even if he has become over-aged.