The Chhattisgarh High Court has expressed serious concern over delays in the recruitment of psychiatrists, directing the state government to expedite the process and warning that such inaction is adversely affecting mental healthcare services.
Court Stresses Urgency in Filling Specialist Posts
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal emphasized that delays in appointing MD psychiatrists could cause significant harm to public health.
The bench observed that the continued pendency of recruitment for such specialized roles, particularly in mental healthcare, results in serious prejudice to the public. It added that seeking time on procedural grounds in such cases is not justified and directed the state to act without further delay.
PIL Highlights Systemic Delay in Recruitment
The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by the High Court Legal Services Committee against the State of Chhattisgarh and others. Senior Advocate Abhishek Sinha, acting as Amicus Curiae and assisted by Ghanshyam Patel, argued that unnecessary procedural repetitions were delaying the process.
He pointed out that despite earlier advertisement of MD psychiatrist posts, the government has restarted the process of seeking financial approval, which could further prolong appointments.
State Cites Procedural Requirements
Responding to the concerns, Additional Advocate General Shashank Thakur stated that financial approval is a mandatory requirement whenever a fresh recruitment process is initiated.
However, the court noted that the proposal to recruit six MD psychiatrists had already been submitted on March 5, 2026, and is currently pending with the Finance Department.
Court Questions Repeated Financial Approval
The bench observed that since financial approval had been granted earlier, seeking it again appears to be a mere formality and should not lead to further delay. It stressed that the recruitment process must move forward swiftly in the interest of public healthcare.
Fresh Affidavit Sought on Recruitment Status
The High Court has now directed the Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Chhattisgarh, to file a fresh affidavit detailing the updated status of the recruitment process.
Reiterating its stance, the court said that keeping crucial mental healthcare posts vacant is detrimental to society and urged the state to make sincere and immediate efforts to complete the recruitment at the earliest.
