HC vacates stay passed against appointment of deputy tahsildar

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court vacated an interim stay passed against the direction of the State Revenue Department to re-draw the deputy tahsildars panel on the basis of considering graduation as a qualification in the State.

Justice D Krishnakumar passed the direction on disposing of a batch of writ petitions challenging the impugned order passed by the commissioner of revenue administration asking the collectors to re-draw the deputy tahsildars panel from 2009 by placing the non-graduate promotees after the directly recruited assistants and graduate promotees.

When the matter was taken up for hearing, the additional advocate general Haja Nazirudeen submitted that the request of the petitioners against the re-drawing of the deputy tahsildars panel on the basis of graduation is pending before the government.

On recording the submissions, the judge held that the interim stay order passed on March 3 and 29 is vacated now.

“There is no such amendment of the rules to protect the interest of the petitioners. Further in the interest of the parties, writ petitioners are directed to make a representation to the principal secretary to the government, revenue and disaster management department within a period of two weeks and on receipt of such representation, the principal secretary to the government, revenue and disaster management department, is directed to consider the petitioners' representation and pass appropriate orders on its own merits and in accordance with law within a period of eight weeks thereafter, ” the judge held.

Earlier, when the petitioners approached the Supreme Court, the Apex Court directed the petitioners to approach the State government to amend rules in 2019.

The issue dates back to 1995 when the State made an amendment in annexure (III) ii of Tamil Nadu Subordinate Service Rules to make graduation as one of the qualifications for the deputy tahsildar position. The same was challenged by the non-graduate deputy tahsildars who were promoted from the post of junior assistants.

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