AJAY CHABBRA Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) THE petitioner, who is a candidate for the post of Medical Laboratory Technician Grade -2, in pursuance to the advertisement issued on 26.7.2011 by Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Punjab Parivar Kalyan, is before this court with a prayer that the respondents be directed to conduct his counselling as on the date fixed for counselling he was bed ridden because of accident.

(2.) LEARNED counsel for the petitioner submitted that the petitioner being fully qualified applied for the post of Medical Laboratory Technician Grade -2 in pursuance to the advertisement issued on 26.7.2011. In the process of selection, written test was conducted on 28.12.2011, in which the petitioner qualified by getting 43.2 out of total 80 marks. The result was declared quite late. Till December, 2013, the petitioner had been enquiring about the same. On 4.1.2014, he met with an accident and was advised 10 days complete bed rest. After the petitioner got well, he checked the status of the result and was surprised to find out that after the result was declared, even the counselling was conducted from 2.1.2014 to 13.1.2014, which the petitioner missed being bed ridden. In the process of counselling, only the documents are checked as there are no marks for interview. The selection is only based on the marks secured in the written test. The persons, who are lower in merit, had been called for counselling. A representation was made even to the Health Minister, who had referred the matter to the department concerned for sympathetic and necessary action.

(3.) THE petitioner only cannot be given special treatment. It will re -open the entire process as the counselling will have to be done once again. Not only this, the selection is almost at the final stage and this will delay the process. Heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the paper book. In the case in hand, the issue is pertaining to the selection to the post of Medical Laboratory Technician Grade -2. The undisputed facts are that the advertisement therefor was issued on 26.7.2011. In the process of selection, written test was to be conducted which was held on 28.12.2011. Thereafter, counselling was to be held in which original certificates of the candidates were to be checked. There were no marks ear -marked for interview. The selection was merely on the basis of marks secured in the written test. The result of written test conducted on 28.12.2011 was declared in December, 2013. The counselling was scheduled from 2.1.2014 to 13.1.2014. As the petitioner could not appear, his candidature was not considered.