Ranchi, Sept 12: The Jharkhand High Court has directed the state government to complete the appointment of the chairman and members of the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) within two months, setting a firm deadline for filling the key vacancies.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice M.S. Sonak and Justice Rajesh Shankar issued the direction during a hearing in a suo motu/public interest matter concerning shortages of officers and staff in the state Forest Department.
The state government assured the court that the appointment process would be completed within the stipulated two-month period. The bench also directed the government to file an action-taken and compliance report. The matter is scheduled to be taken up again in November.
During the proceedings, the prolonged vacancies in the commission’s top positions came under scrutiny. The court had previously sought a clear timeline from the government for restoring the JPSC’s full leadership.
JPSC counsel Sanjay Piperwal informed the bench that the recruitment examination for the posts of Assistant Conservator of Forest and Forest Range Officer had been cancelled.
The JPSC is responsible for conducting competitive examinations and facilitating recruitment to various posts in the Jharkhand government. The prolonged absence of a fully constituted leadership has therefore raised concerns over the smooth functioning of the state’s recruitment process.
With the court now setting a two-month deadline, the state government will have to complete the appointments within the stipulated period and report its compliance before the court.
