Shillong (PTI): The Gauhati High Court has observed that failure on the part of Meghalaya Assembly to frame recruitment rules for its employees led to allegations of biasness in recruitment of the assembly staff.

A Shillong bench of the court headed by Justice B D Agarwal observed that although the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly is a seat of framing rules, despite being constituted in 1972, it is yet to frame recruitment rules for the secretarial staff.

"Had there been rules, there would have been no scope for whimsical and excess appointment on temporary basis," Justice Agarwal noted.

The bench was hearing petitions filed by 179 employees of the assembly secretriat in three groups following their termination of jobs after the change of government.

The employees were terminated from their jobs after the NCP-led Meghalaya Progressive Alliance wrested power from the Congress in the March three assembly elections.

The employees alleged that their services were dispensed with on flimsy ground of 'over staff' and that there has been discretion while retaining some of the employees.

The court, however, refused to entertain the petitions as "the cases stem out of termination of persons appointed against substantive posts and were not cases of 'temporary appointees.'