Procedure for appointment by promotion.

(1) As soon as the Appointing Authority determines the number of vacancies under rule 15 and decides that a certain number of posts are required to be filled by promotion, it shall prepare a correct and complete list containing names up to "five" times the number of vacancies out of the senior most persons, who are qualified under these Rules for promotion on the basis of seniority-cum-merit or on the basis of merit. (2) For the posts falling within the purview of the Commission, a Committee consisting of the Chairman of the Commission or a member thereof nominated by him as Chairman, the Chief Engineer, Deputy Secretary to the Government in the Department of Personnel, Deputy Secretary to the Government in the Agriculture Department as Members, and such officer as may be appointed by the State Government as Member Secretary and for the posts falling outside the purview of the Commission, a Committee consisting of the Chief Engineer as Chairman, Deputy Secretary to the Government in the Department of Personnel, Deputy Secretary to the Government in the Agriculture Department as Members and such Officer as may be appointed by the State Government as Member-Secretary, shall consider the cases of all persons included in the list referred to in sub-rule (1), interviewing such of them as it may deem necessary and shall prepare separate lists containing names of suitable candidates to be promoted on the basis of seniority-cum-merit and merit respectively up to one and a half the number of posts to be filled in on the respective basis. The Committee may co-opt suitable experts to assist it in selecting the candidates: Provided that in case any Member or Member-Secretary, as the case may be, constituting the Committee has not been appointed to the post concerned, the officer holding charge of the post for the time being shall be the Member or Member-Secretary, as the case may be, of the Committee. (2-a). For the first promotion within the Service against the merit quota only such of the persons shall, unless a longer period is prescribed elsewhere in these Rules, be eligible who have put in not less than six years' service on the first day of the month of April of the year of selection on the post from which promotion is to be made: Provided that the persons, who were promoted after regular selection by the Departmental Promotion Committee on a category of post on the basis of merit, shall be eligible for subsequent promotions to the next higher category of post on the basis of merit only when they have put in at least six years' service on the post to which they were last so promoted on the basis of merit.” (3) The names of the candidates selected on the basis of seniority cum-merit and merit shall be arranged in their respective lists in order of seniority. (4) The two lists prepared by each of the Committees shall be sent by them to the Appointing Authority. (5) Where consultation with the Commission is necessary, the lists prepared in accordance with sub-rule (3) shall be forwarded by the Appointing Authority to the Commission along with the Confidential Rolls and Personal Files of all officials whose names are indicated in the lists along with Confidential Rolls and Personal Files of all officials who are proposed to be superseded by the concerned Committee. (6) If the Committee is satisfied, in consultation with the Commission where necessary, that suitable persons are not available for appointment by promotion strictly on the basis of merit in a particular year, appointment by promotion on the basis of Seniority-cum-merit may be made in the manner as specified in this rule. (7) The Commission shall consider the lists prepared by each Committee along with other documents received from the Appointing Authority and unless it considers it necessary to make any change in the lists received from the Appointing Authority shall send the lists duly approved to the Appointing Authority, along with the changes, if any, proposed and the Appointing Authority after taking into account the comments of the Commission, if any, may approve the lists finally with such modification as may in his opinion be just and proper. (7A) The names of the persons included in the two lists finally approved by the Appointing Authority shall be re-arranged in a list in order of seniority. (8) Appointment shall be made by the Appointing Authority taking persons out of the list finally approved under the preceding sub-rule in the order in which they have been placed in the list, till such list is exhausted. (9) In making the appointments, the following cyclic order shall be followed: The first one by merit; The next two by seniority-cum-merit; The next one by merit; The next two by seniority-cum-merit; The cycle to be repeated.