New Delhi, August 14:
The Supreme Court on Friday stayed a Madras High Court order that had quashed Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay’s decision to provide government jobs to relatives of those who died in the Karur stampede last year.
A Bench comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and K Vinod Chandran issued notices to the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary and other respondents while hearing a challenge to the High Court order.
During the hearing, the Supreme Court questioned the petitioner’s challenge to the government’s policy decision. “Who are you to question the policy of the government?” the Bench asked, observing that the government could consider providing employment where a family had lost its sole earning member in the tragedy.
The Bench also posed a specific question on whether the government should provide employment to the son or daughter of a victim if the deceased was the sole member of the family.
High Court had quashed government order
The Supreme Court’s intervention comes as a setback to the Madras High Court ruling of July 27, which had quashed the Chief Minister’s order providing government employment to eligible relatives of those killed in the Karur stampede.
A division Bench of Justices CV Karthikeyan and R Sakthivel had held that granting such appointments could open the floodgates to similar demands from other sections.
The High Court had also observed that the government could not overlook the claims of several people already waiting for compassionate appointments in government departments.
Policy under Supreme Court scrutiny
The government’s decision had been challenged through a public interest litigation, questioning the basis for granting government employment to the relatives of the stampede victims.
The Supreme Court’s stay means that the High Court order quashing the government’s decision will remain suspended pending further proceedings. The notices issued to the Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary and others seek their response to the challenge.
The case assumes significance as it concerns the extent to which a government can frame special employment measures for families affected by a major tragedy, particularly when such appointments could have implications for existing rules governing compassionate employment.
The Supreme Court will consider the matter further after receiving the responses from the state government and other parties.