Setback for state government , supreme court upholds high court bench order on continuance of recruitment process initiated during left front rule

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, September 1, 2025

In a setback for the state’s BJP led government the division bench of the supreme court has upheld the process of recruitment of over 8500 staff including TCS and TPS officers initiated during the previous left front rule. The order in this regard was passed by the division bench of the apex court comprising Justices J.K.Maheshwari and Rajesh Bindal . In their order the justices emphatically stated that a process of recruitment initiated under existing law , rules and statutes can not be unilaterally and arbitrarily annulled by executive whims and caprices . “Such cancellation of personnel engaged in poll process must be rational and objective and such decisions must be consistent with the concept of rule of law” the order said . The appeal in this regard had been filed by Partha Das and others against the state government.

The case had been taken up with the supreme court by petitioners who were aspirants for jobs in TSR, TSC, TPS officers and inspector of boilers. During the last day of the previous left front rule the letters of appointment of 506 enrolled followers of TSR had been ready and , in addition, the matter of issuing letters of appointment of TCS, RPS officers and boiler inspectors had been in an advanced stage. Sources among petitioners said that shortly after being sworn in on March 9 in 2018 the BJP led government had kept in abeyance all process of recruitment during left rule by a decision on March 14. This was followed by the notification of a new recruitment policy on June 5 while on August 20 a fresh governmental order cancelling all recruitment process of the previous left front government was issued.

The order of the bench clearly stated that in the matter of recruitment of officers and employees initiated during the previous government can not be cancelled or replaced by new recruitment policy (NRP) of the successor government. Since the recruitment process of 506 TSR jawans had been completed and those of TCS, TPS and boiler inspector were in an advanced stage through completion of the major portion of the procedures the new recruitment policy can not be applicable to them. This judgment , based on precedents and a number of important case laws, is being looked upon as a major victory for the deprived aspirants for jobs of TSR, Boiler Inspector and TCS and TPS officers. Many opine that the supreme court judgment has left the state government red-faced.

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