SATWINDER SINGH Vs. STATE OF PUNJAB

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The advertisement under which the petitioner claims relief was issued in the year 2006 to fill several posts of Head Masters and Lecturers in different subjects in Punjab school cadre.

(2.) This petition concerns appointment to the post of Head Master while the petitioner has been selected and appointed as Lecturer in Geography in the same recruitment process. The petitioner had applied for both the posts which was permissible. The petitioner competed in the category of Backward Class (Male) and secured 61.961 marks. Twenty one posts were earmarked for BC (Male) out of a total of 43 posts which were to be divided half and half between male and female backward class candidates. One Jasvir Singh son of Ganga Singh was at merit position No.1 securing 64.87 marks while one person, namely, Inderjit Singh Panesar son of Joginder Singh Panesar was placed at Sr. No.15 in the merit list of BCs having secured 63.3655 marks. In the additional affidavit filed before this Court by the Deputy Director in the office of DPI (SE), Punjab, Mohali dated January 30, 2015 there is a categorical statement made in para.3 that Inderjit Singh Panesar was offered appointment and given 7 days to join service as Head Master in terms of the appointment letter issued to him.

(3.) Many candidates like the petitioner who could not produce valid certificates of Backward Class issued within 1 year from the last date of submission of applications were left out of consideration. All such candidates approached this Court by way of various writ petitions including CWP No.4242 of 2007 titled Gayatri Jyoti vs. State of Punjab. The writ petition was allowed together with the connected petitions and the Department was directed to consider the backward class candidates who did not possess Backward Class Certificate issued within 1 year from the last date of submission of applications. This led to revision of the entire merit list under the advertisement dated October 21, 2006 and trailing public notice dated October 27, 2006 treating all the applicants eligible who have applied in the Backward Class category but could not produce the BC certificate in the year 2006. Hence, the public notice in this regard was published on October 15, 2009 in leading newspapers and counseling for filling up the posts was conducted on 19/20.10.2009.