Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 5: Division Bench of High Court has stayed the writ court judgment whereby the promotion of Banking Associates (BAs) through screening test was held to be illegal and directed the J&K Bank to go ahead with the process of promotion.
The writ court on previous week had held the action of the Bank for subjecting non IBPS Banking Associates for next promotion as illegal. The Bank has challenged the writ court verdict in an appeal. The appellant submitted that the Bank may be permitted to go ahead with the promotion of process on the basis of the policy strictly.
The division bench of Acting Chief Justice Tashi Rabstan and Justice Moksha Kazmi while granting interim relief to the bank stayed the writ court judgment and further permitted the bank to go ahead with the process of promotion. “However, the same shall remain subject to the outcome of this appeal”, the interim order further read.
The petitioners about 50 in number working as Banking Associates on the regular establishment of the Jammu & Kashmir Bank Limited and next level of promotion for a Banking Associate is an Assistant Manager (Cadre) also known as JMGS-1 (Officer Cadre had approached the writ court seeking quashing of the process of promotion.
They had challenged the action of inviting the eligible candidates for promotion under caption “Career progression of Banking Associates for the position of Assistant Manager Cadre”, by virtue of communication No. JKB/Rectt/2023- 792 dated 21.09.2023 inviting the Banking Associates fulfilling the criteria to be eligible for the Career Progression from Banking Associates to Assistant Manager (Cadre).
The writ court allowed the plea of aggrieved employees and said the Bank under the Article 14 of the Constitution of India is found squarely violated in the present case which renders the action of the Bank illegal qua the petitioners.
“…therefore, this Court is left with no other option but to hold the selection process under Seniority cum Selectivity channel with respect to non-IBPS Banking Associates, as are the petitioners, conducted by the Bank as illegal and arbitrary”, the court had held.
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