The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court has recently paved the way for the long-awaited promotion of naib tehsildars from the 2016 batch to the post of tehsildars.
The court lifted the stay that had stalled these promotions for over a year, directing the state government to consider the petitioners for advancement.
Justice Alok Mathur delivered the ruling in response to petitions filed separately by Ashutosh Pandey and Siddhanth Pandey. With this verdict, the court also revoked its interim order issued on January 23, 2024, which had initially put a halt to the promotions.
The petitioners contended that they had cleared the naib tehsildar recruitment examination following an advertisement dated January 11, 2016. However, delays by the state government in issuing their appointment letters led to a reduction in their seniority, ultimately excluding them from the promotion list submitted by the Revenue Council on November 10, 2023.
Additional Advocate General Kuldeep Pati Tripathi emphasized the pressing shortage of tehsildars in the state, revealing that 380 posts remained vacant. He informed the court that the government was prepared to consider the promotion of all eligible candidates.
Tripathi also highlighted a proposal submitted by the Revenue Council on October 17, 2024, recommending relaxation of the existing conditions for tehsildar promotions. He asserted that if this proposal was approved, the petitioners’ promotions would become feasible.
In light of these developments, the court instructed the state government to expedite its decision on the proposal, ensuring a timely resolution to the matter.
