HC directs Govt to fill up existing vacancies

Chennai, Mar 15 (UNI) The Madras High Court today directed the state Government to fill up the existing vacancies in the lower courts and the state consumer disputes redressal commission within a month.

The First bench comprising Chief Justice A P Shah and Justice Praba Sridevan delivered a judgment on a nine-year old pending Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a senior advocate of the High Court here, C Lakshmi Narain.

The bench directed the Government to fill up the vacancies with respect to the post of presiding officers of all courts under their respectivce jurisdiction.

In the future the vaccancy should be filled up within a period of one month from the date of its occurrence, by plannig well ahead.

Mr Narain, said there were vacancies in the subordinate courts and in the consumer disputes redressal district forums, state commission, family courts at Madras and also in the city civil courts of Madras.

At the time of final hearing last week, the petitioner submitted an existing list of vacancies as on March 30, 2008 and also submitted an ensuing vacancy list as on Septenber 30, 2008.

The bench allowed the PIL and directed the State Chief Secretary, Food and Civil Supples and Co-operation Department Secretary and the Registrar of Madras High Court to call for applications from the eligible advocates and retired district judges for the post of presiding officer of the consumer disputes redressal forums within two weeks and fillup other existing posts within one month.

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