House panel drops demand for quota in AG office after Haryana CM’s ‘no’

Tribune News Service

Bhartesh Singh Thakur

Chandigarh, March 22

After pursuing the implementation of quota in the appointment of law officers in the office of the Haryana Advocate General (AG) for over three years, the Vidhan Sabha committee on the Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes has dropped its demand following Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar’s refusal.

The committee mentioned in its 46th report for 2022-23, tabled before the House on March 21, that a meeting with the CM took place at his residence on June 1, 2022, where he was requested to implement the reservation in the appointment of Additional Advocate General, Deputy Advocate General and Assistant Advocate General in the AG office.

“The CM replied that there are so many important cases pending in the Supreme Court and High Court for which the quality advocates to defend the version of the government are required and to maintain the quality, the reservation policy cannot be implemented in such appointments,” as per the panel’s report.

The report added: “The Chief Minister further stated that if the advocate belonging to the reserved categories, having quality and ability to proceed the litigation relating to the government, he/she will also be considered in the appointment.”

The committee, under chairman JJP MLA Ishwar Singh, again took up the matter on August 17, 2022. “Now the matter was again placed before the committee at its meeting held on August 17, 2022, and after discussing the matter, the committee agreed with the contention of the Chief Minister and decided not to proceed the matter further,” said the report.

Earlier, the panel took a suo motu cognisance on December 11, 2019, of an advertisement published in various newspapers, dated December 4, 2019, for the appointment of law officers on a contract basis without providing the reservation in the Haryana AG office.

After considering the reply of the Haryana AG and ACS, Administration and Justice Department, the previous committee had recommended the implementation of the reservation policy. Thereafter, in the 43rd, 44th, and 45th reports, the panel had even expressed disappointment over not being able to meet the CM on the issue nor any fruitful response from the department concerned.

Many important cases pending in sc, hc

The CM replied that there are so many important cases pending in the Supreme Court and High Court for which the quality advocates to defend the version of the government are required and to maintain the quality, the reservation policy cannot be implemented in such appointments. House panel report

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