S.SATTANATHAN Vs. STATE OF TAMIL NADU

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The present writ petition has been filed challenging the notification issued by the 1st respondent in G.O.Ms.No.60, dated 21.05.2019 and the consequent notification of the 2nd respondent calling for applications to fill up the post of Director, Social Audit Society of Tamil Nadu ("SASTA") and for consequential direction to the respondents to frame Rules/norms for the selection and appointet to the said post in compliance with the provisions of Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 ("MGNREG Act, 2005") and MGNREGA Audit of Scheme Rules, 2011 ("Audit of Scheme Rules, 2011").

(2.) The case of the petitioner is that he retired as an Additional Director of the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj in the year 2016 after putting in 27 years of service. The petitioner was also posted as Director, Social Audit Unit in the year 2012 and the petitioner claims to have helped in the establishment of SASTA.

(3.) The further case of the petitioner is that the MGNREG Act, 2005 stipulates that 100 days of guaranteed employment will be provided for each rural household in a year for the notified wages. This ensures that the rural poor live a reasonably dignified life and there is no large scale migration to the urban areas in search of jobs. Under this Act, every State Government is required to provide for not less than 100 days of guaranteed employment to every rural household. For this purpose, the State Government must appoint a Programme Officer at the block level. The District Programme Coordinator is responsible for implementation of the scheme in each District. The Gram Panchayat is responsible for identification of projects and for execution and supervision of such works in the Gram Panchayat.