ROSHINI S.S. Vs. KERALA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSIONER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Petitioners are candidates included in Ext.P1 rank list published by the Kerala Public Service Commission (PSC) for appointment to the post of Last Grade Servants in various Government owned Companies/Corporation and Board, which came into force w.e.f. 16.06.2014.

(2.) The PSC had issued Ext.P2(a) notification on 30.12.2016 extending the period of validity of all the rank lists published by it, which were in force as on that day and which were normally due to expire on completion of the period of three years as on 31.12.2016, for further period of 6 months i.e., upto 30.06.2017. It was further ordered that the extension would apply to all the rank lists which are due to expire during the aforesaid period from 31.12.2016 to 29.06.2017 subject to the conditions mentioned therein, which are as follows: "1. This extension will not be applicable to those Ranked Lists whose validity period have already been extended by virtue of the notification No AV(2) 4182/02/GW dated 29th June 2016 and expire on 31/12/2016.

(3.) The rank list in which the petitioners were included i.e., Ext.P1, was to expire on completion of the normal tenure of 3 years on 15.06.2017. Accordingly, by virtue of the notification Ext.P2(a), Ext.P1 rank list got extended upto 30.06.2017. In other words, the validity period was extended by 40 days. The contention of the petitioners is that such extension is illegal and the minimum period of extension should be by three months, going by the 5th proviso to Rule 13 of the Kerala Public Service Commission Rules of Procedure. The writ petition was filed in the above circumstances, seeking directions to the PSC to extend the period of validity of Ext.P1 rank list for a period of 6 months from 15.06.2017/to keep alive the rank list till 15.12.2017.