Recruitment process for IPHB caretakers to continue: High court

Panaji: The

high court

of Bombay at Goa on Wednesday declined to halt the

recruitment

process of psychiatric patient

caretakers

at the Institute of Psychiatry and Human Behaviour (

IPHB

), Bambolim.

Advocate general Devidas Pangam informed the high court that the written test is scheduled on November 14 and the petitioners are contract employees.

“It will not be proper to halt the recruitment

process

itself. As such, the applications are liable to be rejected. It is made clear that further recruitment process will be subject to the outcome of the petitions,” the high court stated.

Nine psychiatric patient care attendants went to high court seeking quashing of the recruitment rules brought into force on September 23, 2021 and reframing those for the post of psychiatric patient caretaker so that the petitioners are eligible for being considered for appointment. The petitioners stated that the new rules were framed to keep them out of recruitment.

The contract employees appointed in 2013 have had their contract of appointments renewed periodically without any break in service. The last contract is renewed on November 11, 2020 and expired on October 31, 2021.

There are 28 employees employed on a contract basis to the post of patient care attendants, whose duty includes ensuring safety of patients and staff, assisting in physically controlling the violent and restless patients, maintaining strict vigil on patients and working under direction/instructions of nursing and medical staff.

The post of 30 attendants came to be created in 2013 and submitted that the new rules introduced in 2021 are designed to eliminate the petitioners and others similarly placed even from applying for the post of patient care attendants.

Advocate Vijay Palekar, representing the petitioners, submitted to the high court that while the 2013 recruitment rules prescribe VIIth pass and knowledge of Konkani as essential and having a good physique as desirable, the 2021 recruitment rules make it essential for one to have passed SSC examination from a recognised board/ institution or successfully completed the course conducted by a recognised industrial training institute. Further, candidates must possess minimum physical standards - male candidates- minimum height of 157 cms, chest unexpanded 80 cms and expanded 85 cms.