Legal backlog pressure on ONGC's dir. HR
ONGC's human resources director, Manish Patil, has his work cut out dealing with a backlog of recruitment-related court cases.
More than 15 such matters are at different stages in the Gujarat High Court alone. Some of the judgements in these cases indicate that not all is well with the HR department.
For instance, on November 9 (2023), the Gujarat court ruled in the case of Pradeep Ishwar Patil vs ONGC. A two-judge bench asked ONGC to appoint Patil, who had challenged his rejection for a junior security supervisor's job because he had not submitted an experience certificate.
"Petitioners (Pradeep Patil) were found to be equipped with experience and had the qualification to satisfy the total eligibility for the post," reads the judgment by justices NV Anjaria and Nisha M Thakor. They stressed that Patil's only mistake was not submitting a certificate confirming his experience in time.
"On that score, non-consideration of the candidature of the petitioners for an appointment and treating them as ineligible was not justified," ruled the judges. "The petitioners are entitled to be treated as eligible to be considered for appointment to the post in line with the advertisement in 2019, in which they participated; the appointment shall be given to them for the available post."
Similarly, on July 11 (2023), the Bombay High Court ruled in favour of petitioner Chandan Shantaram Gunjal to join ONGC as a junior engineering assistant. Gunjal had not submitted a no-objection certificate from his employer, Rashtriya Chemicals and Fertilizers (RCF).
But the court found that he had a good reason. Gunjal had not yet joined RCF when he applied for the ONGC role.
He, therefore, did not have any no-objection certificate to submit at the time of application. On November 2 (2023), the Gujarat High Court passed an oral order in the case of Mukeshbhai Ramanbhai Vasava versus ONGC's Ahmedabad project, where ONGC was repeatedly absent from court.
Another hearing is listed in December (2023). "As a last chance, list the matter on December 14 (2023), by which time the respondent (ONGC) must ensure appropriate representation," said Justice Nikhil S Kariel.