Quashment of redrawn seniority list of KAS: CAT restrains Govt from publishing final list

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has directed the authorities that objections, submitted to draft seniority list dated August 5, 2020, may be considered and final seniority list shall not be published for a period of two weeks.
In a petition filed by Anoo Malhotra & ors seeking quashment of Govt order No 749-JK (GAD) dated August 5, 2020 whereby and whereunder the redrawn seniority list of Jammu & Kashmir Administrative Services (JKAS), appointed to time scale KAS between January 1, 2004 to December 1, 2008 has been notified besides seeking directions to Chief Secretary J&K UT and Commissioner/ Secretary GAD to redraw seniority list of applicants and those officers who were inducted into the time scale of Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) in 2008 but against vacancies/ slots which were available in their respective Departmental Feeding Services in years 2004, 2005, 2006 & 2007, strictly in accordance with proviso attached to sub rule 4 of rule 15 of J&K Administrative Service Rules 2008. In the petition, petitioners also sought direction to respondents to frame one single common seniority list of members of Kashmir Administrative Service, instead of maintaining three separate seniority lists.
A Bench of Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) comprising Justice L Narasimha Reddy, Chairman and Mohd Jamshed (A), Member after hearing Advocate Abhinav Sharma for petitioners, directed respondents that the objections, submitted to draft seniority list dated August 5, 2020, may be considered. However, the final seniority list shall not be published for a period of two weeks.
The applicants have challenged various steps initiated by the Government since April 1, 2020, for revision of seniority list of Jammu & Kashmir Administrative Services, particularly in respect of appointments made to time scale, between January 1, 2004 to December 1, 2008. The applicants contended that a committee appointed for the purpose, submitted a report and by accepting the same, the Government has published a draft seniority list on August 5, 2020. They have challenged the same and the Writ Petition filed before the High Court on the issue, has since been transferred to the Tribunal.