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The decks for the promotion of Ministry of Road Transport & Highways (MoRTH) Chief Engineer C Kandasamy to the post of DG have been cleared following a recent judgment of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT).
The Principal Bench of CAT, in its order dated April 21, has asked MoRTH to hold the “First Review” Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting “within three weeks” to consider the long-awaited promotion of Chief Engineer C Kandasamy first to the post of Additional Director General (ADG).
“If the applicant succeeds therein, the next Review DPC (shall be held) for promotion to the post of DG within next three weeks therefrom,” the CAT order says. According to MoRTH sources, the Government is preparing to write to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to hold the DPC meeting soon.
CAT’s order came after Road Transport and Highways Minister CP Joshi improved the grading of Kandasamy’s ACR before the judgment was finally delivered.
Kandasamy was aggrieved for the past three years as in a sudden decision, then Transport Minister TR Baalu ordered his repatriation from the post of NHAI member (Technical) to MoRTH. Sources said Baalu wanted Kandasamy to be suspended overnight as he was displeased over the tardy progress of National Highway Development Project (NHDP) in his home state of Tamil Nadu.
Even though then NHAI Chairman Gokul Ram assessed Kandasamy’s work as “outstanding” in his ACR, then MoRTH Secretary Brahm Dutt downgraded it three notches to “average”. It was left to Joshi to go by Ram’s assessment.
Taking note of Joshi’s decision, CAT noted, “Now, after taking into consideration his representation afresh and examining all the facts and circumstances of the case without taking into consideration the comments of then Secretary (Brahm Dutt), RTH Minister (Joshi) being the competent authority in the matter has decided that in the interest of justice, the grading given by the Reporting Officer (Ram) in the ACR of Kandasamy for the period 2007-08 is confirmed.”
Kamal Nath, who had succeeded Baalu as Transport Minister, did not intervene in the matter for about two years to either rectify the ACR or go by Dutt’s assessment. As a result, Kandasamy’s promotion got stuck.
The Principal Bench of CAT, in its order dated April 21, has asked MoRTH to hold the “First Review” Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meeting “within three weeks” to consider the long-awaited promotion of Chief Engineer C Kandasamy first to the post of Additional Director General (ADG).
“If the applicant succeeds therein, the next Review DPC (shall be held) for promotion to the post of DG within next three weeks therefrom,” the CAT order says. According to MoRTH sources, the Government is preparing to write to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to hold the DPC meeting soon.
CAT’s order came after Road Transport and Highways Minister CP Joshi improved the grading of Kandasamy’s ACR before the judgment was finally delivered.
Kandasamy was aggrieved for the past three years as in a sudden decision, then Transport Minister TR Baalu ordered his repatriation from the post of NHAI member (Technical) to MoRTH. Sources said Baalu wanted Kandasamy to be suspended overnight as he was displeased over the tardy progress of National Highway Development Project (NHDP) in his home state of Tamil Nadu.
Even though then NHAI Chairman Gokul Ram assessed Kandasamy’s work as “outstanding” in his ACR, then MoRTH Secretary Brahm Dutt downgraded it three notches to “average”. It was left to Joshi to go by Ram’s assessment.
Taking note of Joshi’s decision, CAT noted, “Now, after taking into consideration his representation afresh and examining all the facts and circumstances of the case without taking into consideration the comments of then Secretary (Brahm Dutt), RTH Minister (Joshi) being the competent authority in the matter has decided that in the interest of justice, the grading given by the Reporting Officer (Ram) in the ACR of Kandasamy for the period 2007-08 is confirmed.”
Kamal Nath, who had succeeded Baalu as Transport Minister, did not intervene in the matter for about two years to either rectify the ACR or go by Dutt’s assessment. As a result, Kandasamy’s promotion got stuck.
