Cuttack, June 10: Orissa High Court today stayed the State Administrative Tribunal’s decision to invalidate recruitment of 378 candidates in the Odisha Civil Service (OCS).

The Odisha Public Service Commission had recommended 378 candidates for appointment in the Class II posts and the Specially Declared Gazetted posts.

In August 2010, the state government appointed them in Class I and Class II posts. One Suravi Mohanty and eight others had challenged the legality of the appointment before the tribunal.

On April 23, the tribunal quashed the appointments on the ground that the advertisement was made for Class II and the Specially Declared Gazetted posts and not for the Class I posts.

The vacation bench of Justice B.K. Nayak and Justice A.K. Rath today adjourned the case to June 25 for hearing along with replies from the state government and the commission. “The bench, however, issued an interim stay on the tribunal order,” said Janmejaya Katikia, counsel for 55 petitioners — who had been appointed in the Odisha Finance Service.

The court issued notices to the state government and the commission to file their responses by then. Notices seeking response were also issued to the petitioners, who had approached the tribunal.