The High Court has declared illegal a decision by a government food department to increase by 10 percent the viva marks for a recruitment exam for food inspectors last year.
A joint HC bench led by Justice Farah Mahbub made the ruling yesterday after hearing a writ petition filed by lawyer ZI Khan Panna.
Shahdin Malik, who represented the petitioner, claimed that increasing the viva marks from 20% to 30% was made with mala fide intention.
“Through the verdict, the HC for the first time gave a ruling on this type of cases involving (government) appointments,” Malik said.
The HC ruling also restored the originally allotted 20% marks for the viva, scrapping the food department’s decision.
The petition, made in public interest, stated that on September 21, 2010, the Directorate General of Food under the food ministry had issued a job circular for appointing 328 food inspectors, 175 deputy inspectors and 403 assistant inspectors.
The circular declared that a written examination would be held for 80% of marks, followed by a viva for 20%.
However, after the written exam last year, an order was issued in June increasing the viva marks to 30%, leaving 70% for the written test.
Earlier on October 3, the High Court had issued a rule on the food directorate asking why the decision to increase the viva marks should not be declared illegal.