GO on appointment of retired Govt staff as VAOs challenged

Justice VM Velumani before whom the plea came ordered notice to the State government returnable within three weeks.

Tamil Nadu Village Administrative Officers’ Association, led by its General Secretary K Selvan, had submitted that at present the total sanctioned post of VAO in the State is 12,616 and among them, as many as 2,896 posts are lying vacant. But the government instead of filling up the vacant posts on a regular basis has now come up with a Government Order, dated February 25, 2019, allowing the filling up of the vacancies with experienced hands, preferably retired VAOs, on a consolidated basis of Rs 15,000 per month for a year or till necessity ceases.

Pointing out that when a similar such order was passed in 2009 allowing the appointment of retired government servants temporarily on contract basis as VAOs was challenged, the government had assured the high court that there would not be any recruitment from retired government servants for entry level posts as well as the posts available for promotees.

But contrary to this, the present GO has been passed without even stating the age of reappointment, which meant that retired VAOs who have completed 65 years, may also apply for such reappointment, which is illegal and arbitrary against the service rules wherein no employee shall be allowed to work as Government Servant beyond 58 years.

Also, noting that VAOs posts involve implementing the government schemes and collect tax, the plea noted that the regular VAOs are liable for disciplinary action whereas no such responsibility and liability could be fixed on retired VAOs who are reappointed. Based on this, the plea sought the court to quash theGO and direct filling up all the vacant 2,896 VAO posts through TNPSC.