In a significant ruling, the Gwalior bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has declared the appointment of 61 officers and employees, including the Municipal Commissioner, to the Gwalior Municipal Corporation (GMC) on deputation as illegal. The court directed that all such officers be relieved from their current positions and returned to their respective parent departments.
The order was passed by Justice G.S. Ahluwalia while hearing a writ petition filed by Dr. Anuradha Gupta. The petition had raised objections over the appointment of Dr. Anuj Sharma as Health Officer in GMC, pointing out that Dr. Sharma is a veterinarian and lacks the requisite MBBS qualification mandated for the post.
The court observed that Dr. Sharma’s deputation as Municipal Commissioner lacked proper authorization, as no government order had been issued for his deputation. Taking serious note of the lapse, the court ordered his immediate transfer and sought a complete list of officials serving on deputation in the municipal body.
Upon submission of a list naming 61 such individuals, the court held their appointments as “illegal” and ordered their repatriation. It also directed action against officials posted without requisite qualifications.
The High Court pulled up the civic administration for relying on deputation rather than filling vacancies through permanent appointments. “Why are employees being brought on deputation instead of following the due recruitment process?” the court questioned.
In a further development, the court directed GMC Commissioner Sangh Priya to serve notices as per its order and took note of a false affidavit submitted by Additional Commissioner Anil Kumar Dubey in the case. The issue of initiating contempt proceedings against Dubey has been deferred and will be considered separately.
