by Priyalal Sirisena

A decision of the Bank of Ceylon to recruit graduates for the posts of trainee staff assistants overlooking criteria like exams and interviews for selecting applicants has been challenged before the Supreme Court.

The petitioners N. A. Chandima Kumari and seven others had sued the BOC, its Personal Manager (Human resources) and the Tharuna Aruna Institute for violating their right to equal treatment by the new recruitment process.

The BOC had published advertisements in newspapers calling for applications for the said posts and the petitioners with some others had submitted applications. On October 25 2001, they had been called for a written exam and later in January 2002 they had faced interviews. By this process, the petitioners mention that they were made to understand that about 250 candidates along with the petitioners will be selected for the vacant posts.

But later, the petitioners had found that the bank was to recruit graduates who were registered at Tharuna Aruna Institute, for those posts. The graduates of Tharuna Aruna Institute had been interviewed and the bank was to give them a twelve month training period.

The petition says that this decision is arbitrary and unreasonable and violates the fundamental rights of the petitioners. They plead to grant leave to proceed and quash the decision of the bank to recruit graduates for the said posts. They claim Rs. 1,000,000 compensation for the violation of their rights.