New Delhi, January 19: The Supreme Court has asked the Punjab and Haryana High Court to fill all the vacancies in subordinate courts in the two states by February 28.
“So far as the vacancies in the cadre of district judge are concerned, we direct that the vacancies in the said cadre by limited competitive examination or direct recruitment be filled up at the earliest and the process which is stated to be at different stages be brought to its conclusion latest by February 28, 2019,” a three-judge Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said regarding judicial vacancies in Punjab.
The Bench passed a similar order with regard to vacancies in the cadre of District Judge in Haryana.
The top court issued the directions after the Punjab and Haryana High Court Registrar General Harnam Singh Thakur and senior officials of the two states appeared before it on Thursday and explained the steps taken to expedite the process of judicial appointment in Punjab and Haryana.
Concerned over huge vacancies in subordinate courts across India, the top court on October 22 taken suo motu cognisance of the problem and asked high courts to submit reports on recruitment processes undertaken by them, the schedule followed, measures needed to expedite it and infrastructural requirements. It has been monitoring the process of filling up judicial vacancies since then.
According to official figures submitted to the top court in October, 5,133 of the total 22,036 posts of subordinate court judges across India were vacant and information collected by the Supreme Court Registry from different high courts indicated that recruitment process to fill up 4,180 posts was underway.
“So far as the cadre of Civil Judge (Junior Division) (in Punjab) is concerned, the selected candidates as against the vacancies notified in the year 2016 be appointed forthwith after completion of all formalities. The 75 vacancies assessed by the High Court as on today be advertised immediately and the process be completed as per the time schedule in Malik Mazhar (case).
“So far as the courtrooms are concerned, we direct that the courtrooms under construction be completed at the earliest,” the Bench said in its order on January 17.
The Bench ordered that the process of filling up 109 vacancies of Civil Judge (Junior Division) presently underway in Haryana be completed by April 30, 2019.
“So far as the courtrooms and residential accommodation (in Haryana) are concerned, the construction which is underway be completed within the time schedule,” it ordered.
During the hearing, the CJI asked the Registrar General if it was true that private people were not ready to give them houses on rent.
“There are two reasons for it. They (landlords) would not get any rent enhancement and it would be difficult to get the premises vacated,” the CJI went on to add.
