Justice Harish Tandon of Calcutta High Court on Friday directed the state principal secretary (finance) to convene a meeting and propose the names of three retired judges of Calcutta High Court for appointment as chairperson of the State Administrative Tribunal.

“Of the three proposed names, the state will have to select a person for appointing him as chairman of SAT,” the judge said. The judge was hearing a petition by candidates who had participated in the recruitment process for civic volunteers and members of the National Volunteer Force (NVF).

The petitioners claimed that state police had published a notification in 2018 for filling up 5,702 vacant posts of civic volunteers and National Volunteer Force. “The notice for recruitment had mentioned that guidelines for reservation would be followed as per the existing rule. But the quota rule was not followed during recruitment of candidates,” a petitioner claimed.

When the issue came up before the high court it was found that SAT chairperson retired judge Saumitra Pal’s term had expired in July 2022. Since then the post of SAT chairperson has been lying vacant. When Justice Tandon asked petitioners why the case was not filed before the SAT, the lawyer informed the court that the tribunal did not have anyone at the helm.

After hearing the lawyer, the judge summoned state advocate general S.N. Mukherjee and additional solicitor general Ashok Chakrabarty to his court and after discussing the issue with them, the judge issued the order. The judge also said till the time a new chairperson took over, Justice Pal would dispose of the cases.