Kerala High Court Stays Government Orders For Regularizing Temporary/Contract Employees

In an interim order, the Kerala High Court on Thursday directed a halt on the Government Order regularising the services of those who completed ten years of service in semi-government and various government departments.

A Bench of Justice Devan Ramachandran issued the direction, observing that a prima facie case had been disclosed to admit the writ petition jointly filed by 31 petitioners who were included in rank lists prepared by the Kerala Public Service Commission.

The petitioners challenged the Kerala State Government's decision to regularise the services of temporary employees in government and semi-government organisations.

The petitioners, represented by Senior Advocate George Poonthottam and Advocates Arun Chandran, Nisha George and AL Navaneeth Krishnan, sought a stay of the government orders. They also sought a direction that the temporary/contract employees sought to be regularized should be allowed to continue only on daily-wage or contract basis.

An additional prayer made was that all temporary appointments be made from the rank list prepared by the State Public Services Commission based on qualification and eligibility until the writ proceedings were closed.

Directing that the allotments made pursuant to the order be deferred, the Court adjourned the matter till 12 March.

The State Attorney and the Standing Counsel for the various respondent-organisations sought time to file counter-pleadings in the meanwhile.

The issue of 'backdoor appointments' has kicked up a political storm in the poll-bound state, which witnessed intense protests by rank-listed persons seeking public employment.