STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: While disposing of bunch of petitions, Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey partly allowed the petitions and Government order no.381-Home of 2016 dated July 5, 2016, to the extent it seeks to terminate the advertisement notices bearing No.01 of 2013 and No.02 of 2013 dated March 12, 2013 and ordered that the Director General, Fire and Emergency Services, J&K will issue fresh advertisement notices inviting applications for the non-gazetted / Class IV posts of various categories advertised by the Department in terms of the aforesaid two advertisement notices so quashed, leaving it open to the respondents to conduct the process of selection from the first phase afresh. The respondents / Recruitment Board concerned would be free to advertise the vacancies those have cropped up in the interregnum for a separate selection process.
In these nine clubbed writ petitions, the Government order No.381-Home of 2016 dated July 5, 2016, whereby the Government in the State Home Department terminated ab initio the process of recruitment that had been initiated and was almost (three-fourth) completed with respect to various non-gazetted and Class IV posts by Fire and Emergency Services Department in terms of three advertisement notices Nos.01 and 02 of 2013 dated March 12, 2013; and No.03 of 2013 dated June 26, 2013. By notification No.01, the Chairman, Departmental Recruitment Board, Fire and Emergency Services, J&K, Jammu, (hereinafter, the Recruitment Board) invited application forms as per the Performa given in annexure-B thereto from candidates eligible for participating in the selection process to be followed for the State Cadre posts of Foreman (01 post), Sub Officer (75 posts), Fireman/Fireman Driver (740 posts), Junior Electrician (04 posts), Painter (04 posts), Vulcanizer (2 posts), Plumber (02 posts), Cook (02 posts) and Barbar (2 posts), borne on the Fire & Emergency Service, which were shown in annexure-A of the notification. On the very date, the Chairman issued another notification, bearing No.02 of 2013 inviting applications for filling up certain vacancies of Steno-Typist and 41 posts of Junior Assistant (Leading Fireman-M). Subsequent thereto, another notification, bearing No.03 of 2013 dated June 26, 2013, was issued inviting applications for filling up the posts of Sweepers / Safaiwallas.
It is stated that, being eligible, the petitioners in SWP Nos.1670/2017, 843/2017, 714/2017, 2194/2016, 475/2017, 953/2017 and 954/2017 responded to the advertisement notice and applied for the posts of Fireman/Fireman Driver and Junior Assistant (Leading Fireman-M). Likewise, the petitioners in SWP No. 63/2017 are stated to have applied for the post of Fireman; whereas the petitioners in SWP No.1048/2017 are stated to have applied for the post of Fireman/Fireman Driver.
Thereafter, the Recruitment Board issued a notice notifying the schedule for conducting the first phase of interviews, which included the physical tests and measurements in respect of the eligible candidates.
Subsequent thereto, the Recruitment Board issued a Notice for Written Test notifying the list of candidates who had qualified the first phase of the interviews comprising physical tests and measurement etc. This notice invited the candidates, who had applied for the posts of Fireman / Fireman Driver, for written test scheduled on July 9, 2014 and the candidates for the posts of Fireman, Junior Electrician, Painter, Vulcanizer, Plumber, Sub Officer, Steno-Typist and (Leading Fireman-M) Junior Assistant on July 10, 2014 and the venues of written test were stated to be Indoor Sports Complex, Srinagar; Kala Kendra, Jammu; and Indoor Sports Complex, Kargil apparently, for the aspirants to appear in their respective regions. Subsequently, the Recruitment Board issued another notice notifying the District-Wise Centre Notice of written test of candidates to be held on August 17 and 18, 2014. It is further discernible from a reading of this notice that it did not contain the Roll numbers of the candidates, but contained four columns mentioning the serial number, the name of the Examination Centre, number of candidates to be examined at each centre and the name of the District.
