The Chhattisgarh High Court warned the state government that bureaucratic delays in hiring mental health specialists are actively harming the public interest.
BILASPUR, April 7 — The Chhattisgarh High Court is losing patience with a state bureaucracy that treats mental health care like an afterthought. In a sharp rebuke delivered this week, a division bench warned the state government that endless procedural delays in hiring psychiatrists are actively harming the public.
Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal didn’t accept the usual administrative excuses. Hearing a public interest litigation regarding the severe shortage of mental health facilities across the state, the bench zeroed in on a specific, glaring failure: the stalled recruitment of specialized medical staff, particularly MD Psychiatrists.
The government’s defense rested on a timeline of paperwork. State officials submitted an affidavit claiming a proposal to hire six MD Psychiatrists was forwarded to the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC) on March 5, 2026. The hold-up? They are waiting on a green light from the Finance Department.
But the court’s appointed amicus curiae punctured that narrative.
Financial clearance for these positions already exists. The amicus argued that routing the file back through the Finance Department for fresh approval is nothing more than a bureaucratic formality. It’s a paper-pushing exercise that keeps critical medical posts vacant while patients go without care.
The bench agreed. The judges noted that dragging out recruitment in a highly specialized field like public health causes “serious prejudice” to the citizens who rely on the state system. When a hospital needs a psychiatrist, asking for more time on procedural grounds isn’t a valid legal defense. It’s a failure of governance.
The court directed the state to bypass the red tape and wrap up the hiring process for the MD Psychiatrist roles immediately.
State counsel attempted to shift the blame to market realities. They argued that finding qualified psychiatrists is difficult, pointing to a limited number of postgraduate medical seats and strict regulatory frameworks that throttle the supply of specialists. Despite these hurdles, the government claimed it is pushing the process forward. Recruitment for counselors and clinical psychologists is reportedly underway, and officials noted they’ve managed to select a single candidate for a vacant pathologist role.
That isn’t enough for the High Court.
The bench ordered the Secretary of the Health Department to step up and file an additional, detailed affidavit. The court wants to see the latest recruitment status and proof of compliance with previously issued guidelines. No more vague assurances.
The clock is ticking.
The petition driving this action was filed by the Chhattisgarh High Court Legal Services Committee, a move designed to force the state’s hand in expanding mental health infrastructure. For the millions of residents in Chhattisgarh relying on public health systems, private therapy isn’t an option. The state is the only safety net.
Right now, that net has massive holes.
The government has until the next hearing on April 28, 2026, to prove it’s actually filling them.
