In a significant judgement with serious ramification, the High Court of Tripura on Wednesday cancelled recruitment of all school teachers from March 2010. Total 10,323 under graduate, graduate and post graduate teachers would be axed following the order that termed the appointments illegal.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice S.C. Das who heard 58 petitions from aggrieved unemployed youths over past four months, delivered the judgement with certain directives to the government. Senior counsel Arun Chandra Bhowmik who represented several petitioners termed the verdict historic and victory for suffering youths who were deprived of job despite having requisite qualification.
The plaintiffs complained all appointment procedures and norms were violated in recruitment of 10,323 teachers. State government had in March 2010 appointed 4,617 graduate teachers, 1,100 post graduate teachers in August of same year and 4,606 under-graduate teachers in December 2013.
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The judgement mentioned that despite cancellation of appointments, the recruited teachers can continue service till December 31 next. It directed the state government to ensure transparent recruitment of teachers as per procedure and made a point to consider age limit of bonafide candidates who were denied job in earlier recruitment exercises.
State’s school education minister Tapan Chakraborty said the government would take next course of action like moving the apex court only after reviewing High Court judgement. All opposition parties hailed the judgment and criticized CPI(M) led left front government for ‘political appointments in government organisations flouting set rules’.
When contacted, CPI(M) state secretary Bijan Dhar said he would not make any political comment in haste without knowing exact content of the judgement. Sources said the state government is likely to move the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the high court order.
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