Prospective terminated Tripura teachers to move SC seeking security of their future

Agartala, Oct 27: The teachers whose job will be terminated on Dec 31 this year following the decision of the Supreme Court today decided to file a petition in the apex court for passing appropriate direction to the state securing their job and livelihood. The victim teachers argued that the state government had appointed the teachers in the service as per their requirements and selection procedure against sanctioned posts in different phases. But later when various groups of unemployed filed writ in the high court claiming that they were deprived the court found the process of appointment was faulty and asked the government to terminate the job in 2014. “Most unfortunately the state government challenged the order and moved to Supreme Court and there also high court order is upheld in March this year. Again government created 12,000 non-teaching posts where teaching experience was made mandatory knowing it fully well that it will be challenged in the court. Now unnecessarily we were harassed because of the faulty approaches of the state government,” alleged Bimal Saha, a victim. He claimed if the state government was serious about the future of these 10,323 teachers, they would have adopted the most convenient and easy options to retain the job in other departments or in the education department shouldering the responsibility as per the qualifications instead it complicated the situation by passing the Supreme Court. In the meeting, terminated teachers decided to move in the apex Court to secure their future which is at stake now, Saha said adding, “We are now confused. The latest verdict of Supreme Court brings a permanent end to our future. Now the situation has reached to such a level where there is no exit in our life expect seeking sympathetic action from the court.” Meanwhile, state government is exploring the possibility to a plea before the Supreme Court seeking a year-long extension to the service of 10,323 teachers beyond December citing the reason that the education system of the state will be broken once they will be sacked, as despite several attempts the government could not able to fill up the vacant posts of teachers with qualified candidates. “So far only 20 per cent vacant posts were filled up in last six months through Teachers Recruitment Board because of non-availability of the qualified candidates. We cannot close down the schools but to run where we need the consideration of Supreme Court at least for a year,” said education minister Tapan Chakraborty. Reacting to the statement of Chakraborty, Congress MLA Ratan Lal Nath said that the situation is raised due to immature and adamant attitude of the left front government. Since beginning the ministers including Chief Minister and the ruling party CPI-M were against the decision of the court and they blamed opposition and at some point of time instigated the victims against the court also. “Had government undertaken alternative arrangement of recruitment of the teachers who would not be eligible for teaching in other departments, all of them by that time could able to secure their livelihood. But the left front government did politics with the future of these 10,323 families and hostile the situation,” Nath added. UNI