30K Vacant Posts Of Sub-Inspectors & Constables: Patna High Court Calls For Action Taken Report From Bihar Govt. Within 4 Weeks [Read Order]

The Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Karol and Justice S. Kumar was informed that at this point in time, there are more than 30,000 posts which are lying vacant.

The Court gave the State Government a period of four weeks to file the status report pursuant to Court'sorder dated 05.02.2020.

Notably, the Court has been continuously monitoring the matter regarding filling up the posts of Sub-Inspectors and Constables in the State of Bihar.

In its last order dated 5.2.2020, the Court had directed the State Government as also, the Selection Agency to take steps for filling up all the vacant posts.

The learned counsel for the State, submitted before the Court that process of recruitment is on, and an affidavit of compliance and the action taken report pursuant to Court's last order dated 5.2.2020 shall be filed within a period of four weeks.

In view of the same, applicants in the matter did not press the Interlocutory Applications reserving liberty to assist the Court.

The Court further directed that the status report for action taken in terms of Court's order dated 5.2.2020 be positively filed within a period of four weeks.

The matter has been listed for further hearing on 27.11.2020.

It may be noted that in March 2019, the Supreme Court had requested all the High Courts to register Suo motu Public Interest Litigations regarding the filling up of a large number of vacancies in the different posts in the police forces in the respective states.

Pursuant to that, a Public Interest Litigation commenced with the registering of this P.I.L. as per the direction of the Apex Court in May 2019.

Notably, in August 2019, the Patna High Court in this matter, had remarked,

"To our mind, the stifling of (recruitment) process by the bureaucracy itself indicates apathy on the part of the Government in not giving priority to the basic needs of the citizens at large. This prima facie amounts to a failure on the part of the Government in not providing infrastructure or adequate facilities for recruitment in order to fulfil the immediate needs which are not only urgent but fall within the first constitutional duties of the State."