REPCO Bank MD: Centre gets notice

A division bench comprising Justice KK Sasidharan and Justice R Subramanian, before whom an appeal from All India Repatriates Welfare Association (Burma, Sri Lanka and Vietnam) of Chennai in this regard came up, directed the Central government to explain the delay and the procedures that needed to be completed for the appointment of a regular MD. The bench then posted the matter for further hearing to July 16.

The association, which moved the appeal against the order of single Judge T Raja refusing to pass any orders stating that the present MD is continuing in service and there is no merit in the writ petition, submitted that the present managing director R Varadarajan who was appointed on October 28, 2010 had retired on February 29, 2016 and the post had become vacant since then.

Stating that the Union Home Ministry and the Public Enterprise Selection Board have failed to take any initiative to recruit the next MD, the association submitted that the qualification and eligibility conditions should have been finalised 15 months before the date of occurrence of vacancy.

Further, noting that no order of extension has been passed, the association sought to set aside the single judge’s order and direct the Central government to immediately initiate the process for appointing a managing director to the bank.