HC paves way for nurses’ appointment

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 22

Decks have finally been cleared for the appointments of staff nurses in Punjab, with the Justice Daya Chaudhary of the Punjab and Haryana High Court clarifying that its earlier order staying the declaration of result was only qua the petitioners in the writ petition. The development is significant as the process involves the appointment of more than 900 staff nurses.

Justice Chaudhary’s Bench was told that Hanuman Parshad and some other candidates had earlier moved the High Court with a grievance that they were not being allowed to participate in the counselling only on the ground that they were not having registration certificate issued by the Punjab Nurse Registration Council.

Issuing notice of motion, the High Court had directed the Health Department Secretary, and the Director, Health Services, to provisionally allow the petitioners to appear in the counselling, but the result would not to be declared till the passing of orders by it.

In their plea, selected candidates through counsel RS Bajaj contended that the authorities withheld the results of the entire selection process after taking shelter of the High Court order.

Bajaj contended that the authorities were misreading the court orders. At the behest of just 10 candidates, the result of the entire selection process could not be stayed. Furthermore, an objection regarding registration certificate had been raised only in case of 18 such candidates.

Even if 18 posts were reserved for such candidates, the result of the remaining more than 900 posts was required be declared, Bajaj contended. After hearing Bajaj and accepting the plea, Justice Chaudhary clarified that the order dated December 5, 2016, regarding stay on the declaration of result was only with regard to the petitioners in the writ petition.