VEENA KUMARI Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Petitioners after successfully completing training course for Anganwari workers, were given appointments as Anganwari workers with effect from 2.2.1976. Petitioners are working as such for the last more than 16/17 years, and are being paid the fixed salary. According to the petitioners, the next avenue of promotion of Anganwari workers is that of Supervisors in the regular pay scale. The grievance made in the writ petition is that the respondent cannot appoint persons on the basis of policy of pick and choose. Petitioners, thus, have made a prayer that a direction be given to the respondents to appoint the petitioners to the post of Supervisor in preference to the persons who were appointed as Anganwari Worker a later to the petitioners.

(2.) Respondents in their written statement have stated the post of Supervisor is not a promotional post and no seniority-list of Anganwari worker has been maintained. Further, their case is that "selection was made on the basis of interview conducted by the Selection Committee. The candidates Who qualified the interview before the Selection Committee have been selected and appointed as Supervisors including petitioners No. 2,3,5 and 10".

(3.) In view of the stand of the respondents, I am of the view that at present, no relief can be given to the petitioners, but considering as stated by the counsel for the petitioners, that nearly about 50 posts of Supervisors are tying vacant, the respondents while appointing suitable candidates against those posts shall consider the case of the petitioners sympathetically, keeping in view that they have already put in more than 16/17 years of service and there is no other promotional avenue available to them.