New Delhi: More than 10,300 teachers in Tripura run the risk of losing their jobs, yet again.
In a jolt to the Left Front government in Tripura, the Supreme Court has stopped the appointment of 12,000 teaching and non-teaching staff across the state after reproaching the Manik Sarkar government for prima facie acting in contempt of court.
"Pending further consideration, the State of Tripura is restrained from filling up 12,000 new posts of Student Counsellor, School Library Assistant, Academic Counsellor, Hostel Warden and School Assistant," directed a bench of Justices Adarsh K Goel and Uday U Lalit.
The 12,000 newly created posts will be expected to accommodate 10,323 primary teachers, whose appointments had already been quashed by the SC in March this year.
According to a contempt petition filed in the court, the Tripura government sought to circumvent the SC order by again recruiting the same 10,323 persons under a new notification and on newly created posts.
Admitting the contempt plea, the bench said, "Prima facie we find merit in the allegations in the contempt petition and prayer for initiating proceedings against the respondents (including the chief secretary of the state)".
Posting the matter for further hearing on October 24, the bench observed that the state government appears to be flouting the Supreme Court's previous order which had categorically held that the state followed no guidelines or selection criteria in making appointments of 10,323 primary schoolteachers.
On Wednesday, the bench recalled that in March this year it had affirmed the High Court verdict, which had described the selection process as a "cruel joke on the youth of Tripura" since the selection process was "totally unfair" and failed to comply with the mandates of the Right To Education Act.
Following the SC order on March 29, over 10,000 teachers were set to lose their job. The top court had then ordered the state government to carry out a fresh selection process by December 31.
It asked the state government to initiate a fresh recruitment policy through the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET), as prescribed under the Right to Education Act, by May 31 and complete it by December 31.
But the state government issued a notification on May 19, creating 12,000 posts of Student Counsellor, School Library Assistant, Academic Counsellor, Hostel Warden and School Assistant.
The contempt plea said that the new notification was issued with a view to accommodate the same persons whose appointments were quashed for being tainted by extraneous reasons apart from lack of qualification.
"The age requirement and qualifications have now been tailored with a view to appoint the very same persons whose appointments were quashed to newly created posts and thereby defeat the order of the Court quashing their appointment," alleged the contempt plea.
The SC found prima facie merit in the contempt plea and issued a notice to the state government. In its response, the state government said that the decision impugned was bona fide and not with a view to flout the order of this court.
The bench, however, deemed it appropriate to halt the appointments on these 12,000 posts until the government satisfies the court of its bona fide and compliance with the norms.
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