Jaipur, The Rajasthan High Court has sought the state government’s response over the delay in the formal appointment of sanitation workers recruited under the 2012 and 2018 drives which is affecting 309 urban local bodies across the state.

A single bench of Justice Ravi Chirania, hearing petitions filed by Inderraj Nidaniya and others, issued notices to the government and directed it to file its reply within three weeks.

The court questioned the selective issuance of appointment orders in a few civic bodies while keeping similar processes pending in others.

It sought clarification on why appointments were made in municipalities such as Rajakhera , Kota, Rajsamand, Tonk and Churu, and why the process initiated in Alwar Municipal Corporation was not extended to other bodies, including Jaipur Municipal Corporation.

The counsel for the petitioners, Abhinav Sharma, submitted that out of the total sanctioned strength, as many as 23,820 posts of Safai Karamcharis are vacant in the state which indicates a significant manpower shortage.

He said that Jaipur alone has 4,077 vacancies pending for over 14 years, affecting sanitation services in the state capital.

The petitions alleged that candidates, mostly from the Valmiki community, have faced prolonged delays under the pretext of committee reviews, while appointments have been made selectively in some areas.

It was also alleged that despite a 2024 agreement following a strike in Jaipur assuring early appointments, the state attempted to restart the recruitment process in 2024-25, which was later withdrawn.

The petitioners referred to earlier High Court directions, including a 2017 order in the Lalit Kumar case which had directed the completion of the 2012 recruitment process within three months.

They also cited the Supreme Court’s judgment in Safai Karamchari Andolan vs Union of India, which emphasised rehabilitation and priority in public employment for those engaged in manual scavenging.

The pleas seek directions for appointment of over 380 petitioners against vacant posts in various urban bodies, including Jaipur, Rajgarh and Beawar, on par with candidates already appointed in select municipalities.

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