The Punjab and Haryana High Court has recently disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by one Aseem Raj Chugh alleging several posts in the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) were lying vacant and had been filled up by temporary arrangements of outsourcing or contractual employees without following the due process of law.
The bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel observed the same issue had been raised in a petition pending before the Apex Court, namely Writ Petition No. 13029/1985, titled “M.C. Mehta Vs. Union of India and others”.
In light of this, the High Court refrained from considering the issue, as it is already sub judice before a higher court. The Court, however, granted liberty to the petitioner to approach the Apex Court in accordance with the law.
The petition was disposed of without commenting on the merits of the case.