Uttarakhand High Court orders Meenakshi Sundaram to appear over PTCUL MD order compliance

The Uttarakhand High Court has directed Principal Secretary Meenakshi Sundaram to appear by video link on March 19 after the state failed to act on its order in the PTCUL managing director appointment case. The court earlier quashed Prakash Chandra Dhyani’s appointment, citing Rule 9-A and the engineering degree requirement under 2021 rules.

The Uttarakhand High Court has asked Principal Secretary Meenakshi Sundaram to appear by video conferencing on March 19. The direction came after the court found no compliance with an earlier order. The matter was heard by a single bench of Justice Alok Kumar Verma. The case is linked to a contempt petition over a senior appointment.

The contempt petition was filed by Dehradun resident Anil Baluni and others. The petition referred to an order dated February 18, 2026. On that date, the court set aside the appointment of the managing director of Power Transmission Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (PTCUL). The state government was told to review the appointment under the 2021 procedure rules.

Uttarakhand High Court order on PTCUL managing director appointment

According to the petitioners, the High Court order was not carried out. The court had asked the government to reconsider the appointment. It also required that the process follow the Uttarakhand Managing Director and Directors Selection and Appointment Procedure Rules, 2021. The bench treated the continued non-implementation as the basis for contempt proceedings.

In the earlier ruling, the court struck down the appointment of Prakash Chandra Dhyani as managing director. The bench said the appointment did not match the prescribed rules. The court held that the selection was against Rule 9-A of the 2021 regulations. That rule requires an engineering degree for the post.

Uttarakhand High Court findings on Rule 9-A and engineering degree

The court noted that Dhyani allegedly does not hold the required engineering qualification. Justice Alok Kumar Verma’s bench said the government could take a fresh call. However, any new decision had to strictly follow the 2021 rules. The bench also stressed that the process must stay within the same regulatory framework.

The High Court added a condition on exemptions under the 2021 rules. It said the government must clearly explain any exemption granted. The court required the government to state how a candidate’s qualification is treated as equal. The next hearing will include Sundaram’s appearance through video conferencing on March 19.

With inputs from PTI