01 November,2023 05:23 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondent
Bombay High Court/ File Photo
The Bombay High Court has criticised the use of different height requirements for women candidates applying for fire brigade positions across various municipal corporations in Maharashtra, deeming it a discriminatory and arbitrary policy, stated a report in PTI.
According to the report, a division bench consisting of Justices GS Kulkarni and Jitendra Jain issued an interim order, asserting that the same job should not have inconsistent criteria, and women candidates should not be subjected to such arbitrary rules.
The case emerged from a petition filed by four women who had sought to join the Pune Municipal Corporation's fire brigade as fire extinguishers/firefighters, stated the report.
Reportedly, these candidates were informed that they did not meet the minimum height requirement of 162 centimetres, as specified by Pune, Mumbai, Thane, and Nagpur municipal corporations.
In contrast, the Maharashtra Fire Brigade Service Administration mandates a lower height requirement of 157 centimetres, which is followed by several other municipal corporations in the state.
The high court's order, issued on October 26, deemed this situation an instance of "apparent discrimination." It emphasized the importance of uniformity, stating that different benchmarks should not exist for different corporations. The court highlighted that women candidates should not be discriminated against due to arbitrary policies or approvals by the state government.
As an interim measure, the court directed the Pune Municipal Corporation to allow the petitioning women to participate in the selection process. However, their final selection would depend on the court's forthcoming decision in the case. The court also instructed the state government and Pune civic body to submit their response affidavits, scheduling further hearings for November 9.
Bombay HC on Mumbai's deteriorating AQI
The HC has also expressed concerns over the air quality of Mumbai; the court took suo moto cognisance of the issue. A division bench of Chief Justice DK Udhyaya and Justice Arif Doctor sought Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Union and Maharashtra governments on the issue. HC was hearing a public interest litigation filed by three city residents raising the issue of poor air quality in Mumbai.
