Married Daughters Also Eligible for Govt Jobs on Compassionate Grounds: Orissa HC

Cuttack: In a significant ruling, the Orissa High Court has declared that the state government cannot refuse employment to the married daughter of an employee on compassionate grounds. The court observed that any restrictions imposed by the government in this regard lack legal validity.

The decision came during a hearing on a petition filed by Seemarani Pandab, who had applied for a job under the Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme after her father, a physical education teacher at CRS High School in Tihidi, Bhadrak district, passed away in 2004.

Despite her eligibility, Seemarani was denied the job citing a government circular that barred married daughters from availing employment on compassionate grounds. Challenging this, she approached the Orissa HC in 2011.

Justice SK Panigrahi, in a single-judge bench, asserted that denying employment to a married daughter under compassionate grounds violates key constitutional provisions including Articles 14, 15, and 16(2) of the Indian Constitution.

Furthermore, the court directed the authorities to consider Seemarani’s application without considering her age as a factor. It also emphasized that her application should be reconsidered from the date it was first submitted.