'Systematic Fraud, Shocks The Conscience': Himachal Pradesh HC On Appointments Made By State Electricity Board Sans Formal Selection Process

The Himachal Pradesh High Court, recently expressed shock at the arbitrary appointments made by the State Electricity Board and the HP Power Corporation, without even conducting any formal selection process.The bench of Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Chander Bhusan Barowalia observed, "The official respondents cannot act as despots or monarchs and are obliged to act in. The Himachal Pradesh High Court, recently expressed shock at the arbitrary appointments made by the State Electricity Board and the HP Power Corporation, without even conducting any formal selection process. The bench of Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Justice Chander Bhusan Barowalia observed, "The official respondents cannot act as despots or monarchs and are obliged to act in accordance with the principles of democracy, equity, equality and solidarity. "The power or discretion of the Government in the matter of grant of largesses including award of jobs, contracts quotas, licences etc., must be confined and structured by rational, relevant and non-discriminatory standard or norm and if the government departs from such standard or norm in any particular case or cases, the action of the Government would be liable to be struck down, unless it can be shown by the Government that the departure was not arbitrary, but was based on some valid principle which in itself was not irrational, unreasonable or discriminatory" Hence, the petition was allowed and the court ordered to quash the appointment of Respondent No.