Gauhati High Court upholds dismissal of 771 ASTC workers over irregular hiring

In a landmark ruling, the Gauhati High Court has upheld the dismissal of 771 contractual employees of the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC), citing large-scale irregularities in recruitment during previous administrations.

The decision follows revelations that as many as 2,274 individuals were appointed on contract without adhering to due procedures under the tenure of former ASTC Managing Directors Anand Prakash Tiwari and Khagendra Nath Chetia. Investigations indicated that critical requirements such as reservation policies, interviews, and proper selection processes were ignored during the appointments.

The dismissed employees had challenged the order in court, but the High Court clarified three key directives:

Employees must remain in service until sanctioned posts are formally filled.

Once vacancies are announced, the employees must compete through prescribed examinations or interviews.

No salary claims can be made for the period between 2023 and the present.

Earlier, the state transport department had served show-cause notices to the former Managing Directors, holding them accountable for violating government norms. A comprehensive review of ASTC’s workforce is currently underway, with orders to retain only legally appointed and essential staff. The department has directed that the scrutiny process be completed within 60 days, after which all irregular appointees will be formally released.