Srinagar: A division bench of the Jammu & Kashmir High Court on Friday requested the single bench to hear and decide afresh a petition challenging the engagement of Mumbai-based APTECH firm by the Jammu & Kashmir administration for conducting job examinations.
It set aside the single bench order canceling the allotment of the contract to the firm and maintained its interim directions shall remain in force.
The division comprising Justice Tabi Rabistan and Justice M.A Choudhary today remitted the writ petition back to the writ court for deciding the matter afresh.
“……Therefore, given what has been discussed above, we, without discussing the merits of the case, deem it proper to dispose of the appeals and remit the writ petition back to the Writ Court for deciding the matter afresh.
Accordingly, the order and judgment impugned are hereby set aside, the writ petition is restored to its original number and the writ petition is remitted back to the learned Single Judge with a request to decide the matter afresh. Writ respondents through their learned counsel are directed to file objections/counter to the writ petition within two weeks from today, thereafter, a rejoinder, if any, is to be filed within the next week. The registry is directed to list the writ petition before the learned Single Judge on the 5th of April, 2023, when the learned Single Judge is requested to finally decide the writ petition. Till then interim direction dated 09.12.2022 shall remain in force,” reads the order.
In its interim directions on December 09, the DB had directed that Services Selection Board shall proceed with the selection process of Junior Engineer (Jal Shakti Department) and Sub-Inspector (Home Department), however, the result of the same shall await further orders from this Court.
Pertinently, scores of job aspirants have been protesting against the J&K administration’s decision to give APTECH Company the authority for conducting JKSSB exams.
(KNO)