Tripura: 25 allopathy pharmacists lose jobs due to wrong selection process

As many as 25 Scheduled Tribes and Scheduled Caste allopathy pharmacists have lost their jobs following a verdict of Tripura High Court over a wrong selection process, said advocate Soumik Deb.

Speaking with reporters, advocate Soumik Deb said that on 30 September 2013, the then Tripura Government conducted a walk-in interview to fill up 73 vacancies of Allopathy Pharmacists. 

Out of 73 vacancies, 60 vacancies were reserved for SC and STs. The remaining 13 posts were for UR. As per Tripura state's reservation law, 31 percent of seats will be reserved for STs and 17 percent of seats for SCs. In filling 73 vacancies of Allopathy Pharmacist, 84 percent of seats were reserved. 

“In this regard, a writ petition was filed in the High Court in 2015. The Single Bench of the High Court dismissed the writ petition. Later Pankaj Bhowmik and Rajib Roy along with two others filed two more writ petitions. These two writ petitions were heard in the High Court. The High Court delivered its verdict today. The High Court has said that the state government cannot fill up the vacancies by reserving more than 50 percent of the seats. The High Court has dismissed the selection process conducted by the state government to fill 73 vacancies of Pharmacist Allopathy”, he said.

The advocate further said that at the same time, the court informed that according to the judgment given today, the selection process should be completed to fill the vacancies. 

“By doing this, 25 people will lose their jobs among the SC, and STs who got jobs earlier. And newly 25 people belonging to UR category will get jobs”, he told the reporters.

Deb also said that the Division Bench of the High Court has given a similar verdict on another writ petition on December 20.