Group D posts: CAT showcause to Railways

The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has issued a showcause notice to the Indian Railway authorities on the issue of unexplained delay in completing procedures for appointment to Group D posts under the East Coast Railway division.

The Tribunal bench comprising Justices K Thankapan and CR Mohapatra has directed the Railways Secretary, the Chairman of Railway Board and the General Manager of ECoR to file their counters in eight weeks.

The directions came in response to a petition filed by one TR Barik and three others. They alleged that though the process for appointment to as many as 5,200 Group D posts under ECoR was initiated in 2006, it is yet to be completed due to the apathy of the authorities and thereby pushing the applicants into uncertain future.

The petitioners stated that advertisement for the posts was published on October 28, 2006 and written examinations were conducted in four phases in 2007.

The results were published in February 2008 and it was followed by physical tests in five phases.

After that the merit list should have been published and the final process of medical and document scrutiny carried out to give appointments to successful candindates. The process has stalled at that point. Thousands of candidates who had applied and appeared for the exams are still awaiting their final results.

While other divisions had already finished giving appointments for similar posts, the same is curiously being delayed here, the petitioners alleged.