Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) was ordered by the High Court of Bombay in Goa to reinstate six of its employees and pay them consequential benefits, such as wage arrears dating back to July 2013, despite the termination of their employment.
Six employees namely Payal Baadkar of Betabatim, Luiza Ferrao e Fracias of Loutolim, Rowena Fernandes of Vasco, Fransquinha Fernandes, Soneya Borges, Clemy Rodreigues e Quadros, all from Nuvem had filed a writ petition challenging the orders of termination from service dated November 27, 2014 by the GSPCB, claiming that it was illegal and was without following the due process of law.
In a similar vein, the petitioners had also contested the GSPCB’s decision of August 19, 2014 to abolish the positions they held, claiming that this decision was made with malice and the only purpose of preventing their reinstatement in the event that the petition was successful.
The six petitioners were hired as junior laboratory assistants, senior laboratory assistants, and scientific assistants (chemical).
The GSPCB counsel’s bid to delay the judgement in order to appeal it to a higher court was also denied by the Division bench, which was made up of Justice Prakash Naik and B P Deshpande. The bench noted that the petitioners had been barred from the positions for more than ten years.
The charges of one of the candidates who was not chosen regarding illegalities, irregularities, and manipulations in the appointments made by GSPCB in 2012 led to the government appointing retired Joint Secretary (Personnel), D M Borkar, as the inquiry officer in 2013.
The inquiry officer determined that the petitioners were not qualified for the select list and as a result noted that their inclusion in the merit list was incorrect.
