The Himachal Pradesh High Court has expressed strong displeasure over the attitude of the state’s Sukhu government in matters related to outsourcing services in government departments. The court said that the government is behaving like a private plaintiff in this matter and is only trying to delay the matter. Giving a last chance, the court has directed to file an affidavit with all the necessary information by the next hearing. Failure to do so will result in a fine of Rs 50,000 being imposed on the government, which will be deposited in the Poor Patients Fund of IGMC Shimla.
The case involves six petitions.
A division bench of Chief Justice G.S. Sandhawalia and Justice Bipin C. Negi is hearing about six petitions related to outsourcing. These petitions have sought complete details of outsourcing done in various government departments during the last three years.
Serious discrepancies found in government report
During the hearing, the state government presented a department-wise data list, but the High Court found several serious discrepancies and contradictions. The court observed that the number of sanctioned and vacant positions in several departments was shown as zero, which did not match the records.
Questions also arose on the data of the Health Department
The petitioners told the court that the Health and Family Welfare Department alone has 24,188 sanctioned posts. However, the new list presented by the government shows a total of 30,805 sanctioned posts across all 46 departments in the state. The court questioned this figure, stating that it did not reflect the actual situation.
The Supreme Court had also fixed the deadline
Previously, the state government had approached the Supreme Court challenging the High Court’s interim orders of May 18 and June 16, 2026. On July 27, the Supreme Court directed the state government to file a complete affidavit with the High Court within five working days. It also allowed the selection and appointment process to continue under the Health Department’s notification of November 6, 2025, but clarified that all appointments would be subject to the High Court’s final decision.
The next hearing will be on August 13
The High Court noted that despite the Supreme Court’s clear deadline, the state government had failed to submit a complete statement within the stipulated period. The court scheduled the next hearing for August 13, giving the government a final opportunity to file a detailed affidavit by then.