Maharashtra Tribunal Directs PWD to Appoint Sports Quota Candidates
The Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal's (MAT) Aurangabad bench has issued a directive to the state public works department (PWD), ordering the appointment of two candidates under the sports quota for the post of civil engineering assistant (Grade-C). The tribunal ruled that the exclusion of these candidates from the selection process was unjustified and contrary to established recruitment rules.
Judgment Details and Candidate Background
In a judgment delivered on Thursday, the MAT allowed applications filed by candidates Kalpesh Bhagwan Vanjari and Radhika Dilip Patil, who were represented by advocate Suresh Munde. The tribunal affirmed that both candidates were entitled to appointment under the 5% sports reservation policy. This decision came after a thorough review of the recruitment process and the candidates' qualifications.
The recruitment initiative began with a PWD advertisement issued on October 10, 2023, aimed at filling 2,109 posts across various categories. Vanjari applied under the NT-D (Sports) category as a Soft Tennis player, securing 138.03 marks and emerging first in his category. Patil, a Sepak-Takraw player, applied under the Open (Sports) category, scoring 144.98 marks and ranking 24th in the merit list.
Exclusion and Departmental Justification
Both candidates had submitted their sports certificates for verification to the divisional deputy director of sports and youth services before the stipulated deadline. However, when the PWD published its second-phase selection list on February 25, 2024, their names were conspicuously absent. A note attached to the list indicated that Soft Tennis and Sepak-Takraw were not being considered for selection.
The department defended its decision by referencing a 2016 Government Resolution (GR), arguing that the sports associations for these disciplines were not affiliated with the Maharashtra Olympic Association. This lack of affiliation, according to the PWD, rendered the submitted certificates invalid, thus disqualifying the candidates from the sports quota.
Tribunal's Ruling and Policy Clarification
The MAT bench, comprising Justice V.K. Jadhav and Member Vinay Kargaonkar, firmly rejected the department's contention. The tribunal observed that both candidates had fully complied with the conditions outlined in the advertisement. It emphasized that any delay in certificate verification by the sports authority should not be held against the applicants, as they had met all requirements in a timely manner.
Furthermore, the tribunal considered a subsequent GR dated June 20, 2024, which clarified that affiliation with the Maharashtra Olympic Association is not a mandatory requirement for the recognition of sports associations. In light of this policy shift, the deputy director of sports later validated the certificates submitted by Vanjari and Patil, confirming their eligibility under the sports quota.
The MAT's directive underscores the importance of adhering to recruitment rules and ensuring fair treatment for candidates who meet all specified criteria. This ruling is expected to set a precedent for similar cases involving sports quota appointments in Maharashtra.
