Kolkata 12 August : A division bench of Calcutta High Court on Friday, rebuked the West Bengal government over the government’s “lackadaisical” strategy in an instance involving inconsistencies in the hiring of food inspectors in the department of food and supplies in the state. The case was to be discussed by the division bench of Justices Harish Tandon and Shampa Sarkar on Friday, but the senior counsels for the state government didn’t show on time for the arguments which angered the judges.
The bench was unsure of the reason of the appointment of counsel who do not appear in court on the day of hearing.
The bench also noted that due to of the lackadaisical approach of the state administration, advancement in this particular area was slow.
It also referred to the strategy of the state administration as being ‘painful’.
The bench has set august 16 as the next day of the hearing in the case.
The bench has also issued a warning to the state government.the court also gave a stern warning of caution to the government of the state warning that if the counsel scheduled are not present in the next hearing it may issue an ex parte notice.
In 2010 which was the final year of Left Front rule in West Bengal, 614 food inspectors were appointed in the department of state food and supplies.It was claimed that the appointments were carried out in defiance of the norms.
Following the Trinamool Congress came to power in the state in 2011 a case was filed with the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) contesting the appointments, and ordered the termination of the services of all appointed food inspectors.They then went to the Calcutta High Court.
But, in 2016, the Calcutta High Court referred the matter back to the SAT and the SAT stayed with its previous order and instructed the police to file complaints against five of the members of the selection committee of the department of food and other supplies for the state.
However, the resigned food inspectors once again appeared before the bench of division of Calcutta High Court, the hearing was scheduled to take place on Friday.
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