VIDYA V. Vs. DISTRICT OFFICER

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The applicants in O.A.(EKM)No.2733 of 2017 on the file of the Kerala Administrative Tribunal, Additional Bench at Ernakulam (the 'Tribunal' for short) filed this original petition invoking the supervisory jurisdiction of this Court under Article 227 of the Constitution of India, challenging the Ext.P7 order dtd. 14/2/2024 passed by the Tribunal in that original application.

(2.) The petitioners are included in Annexure A1 ranked list dtd. 22/6/2017 published by the 1st respondent Kerala Public Service Commission ('KPSC' for short), for the post of HSA (Malayalam) in Kollam district. The petitioners 1 to 4 are ranked 37, 40, 54 and 59 in the main list, and the 5th petitioner is ranked 1 in the supplementary ranked list for the Muslim community candidates. Contending that though there exist several vacancies, the 2nd respondent Deputy Director of Education is not taking any action to get the vacancies assessed and reported to the 1st respondent and the vacant posts are filled up by making inter-district transfers and promotions in excess of the quota earmarked for the same, the petitioners filed the original application, invoking the jurisdiction of the Tribunal under Sec. 19 of the Administrative Tribunals Act, 1985, seeking the following reliefs;

(3.) In the original application, the 2nd respondent filed Ext.P2 reply statement dtd. 22/11/2018 opposing the reliefs sought for. To that reply statement, the petitioners filed Ext.P3 rejoinder dtd. 13/6/2023, producing therewith Annexures A3 and A4 documents. The 2nd respondent thereafter filed Ext.P4 additional reply statement dtd. 16/12/2023. The Tribunal considered the above original application along with a connected original application, i.e., O.A.No.889 of 2020 and, after hearing both sides, by the impugned Ext.P7 order dtd. 14/2/2024, dismissed both the original applications. Being aggrieved, the petitioners are now before this Court with this original petition.