Bombay HC: No Exams for 479 Contract Staff

The Bombay High Court has mandated the Vasai-Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) to regularise 479 contractual employees without requiring them to pass a written examination. This significant ruling came after petitions were filed by doctors, paramedical, and administrative staff who had served VVCMC's health facilities for approximately 8 to 10 years, even during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic.

Justices Girish Kulkarni and Aarti Sathe quashed the urban development department's directive for an examination, noting that these employees were selected through transparent 'walk-in interview' advertisements and had been engaged in vital public health duties. The court pointed out that their continuous service for an extended period created a legitimate expectation of absorption, and it would be arbitrary and illegal to deny them regularisation or impose an examination. The judges expressed hope that such ad-hocism in public employment would be consigned to history, preventing employees from being left to fend for themselves due to age constraints and the availability of perennial work.