PSTCL AEs merit list challenged in HC
Suresh Khatta

Chandigarh

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday issued notices to Punjab State Transmission Corporation Limited (PSTCL) for January 15, 2013 in a civil writ petition filed by one Harmit Singh Aulakh of Patiala. The petitioner had challenged the revised merit list of assistant engineers (electrical) of the corporation for selection/appointment to 88 posts of the AEs.

The petitioner alleged in the petition that 88 posts of AEs (electrical) were notified by the PSTCL of which 37 posts were meant for general category. The petitioner had submitted his application under general category and name of the petitioner figured at serial no. 23 in the original merit list published by the PSTCL on October 31. However, a revised merit list was published by the corporation on November 27 and the petitioner’s name figured at 89th place.

He further alleged that along with revised merit list, the original answer key and revised answer key were also published on the website of the PSTCL. A perusal of both the answer keys and comparison with each other indicated that with reference to at least 15 questions were found to be wrong or incorrect due to which the PSCTL awarded one grace mark for each such question.

Besides, there were at least 3 questions, with reference to which the answers in the revised answer key were different from those given in the original answer key. He submitted that in view of the answers to those three questions as given in the reputed books on the subject, the answers in the original answer key were correct but the answers now contained in the revised answer key were incorrect.

Petitioner prayed to the court to issue directions to the PSTCL to set up a expert committee which should invite representations from all the aggrieved candidates and thereafter make recommendations and then on the basis of which revised merit list should be prepared. While issuing notice, the single bench headed by Justice Rajesh Bindal directed that selection would be subject to the decision of the instant petition