Tripura education department has finally struck down 8,882 teachers of the 10,323 teachers from its payroll following the direction of Supreme Court last year.
However, the state government filed an online application for urgent hearing on a petition seeking the apex court's direction for an providing an alternative employment for these teachers. Education minister Ratan Lal Nath asserted that the state government is committed to making alternative arrangement for their livelihood considering their service to the people in the past years but pointed out that it has to be done with Supreme Court's permission. "We have explained the whole history of the case and the observations by the high court and the Supreme Court.
The intention of the government is stated with the facts. Based on these, advice has been sought from the apex court. No government can give preferential treatment to any candidate in government jobs unless court allows. The 8,882 teachers removed from the service are large in number and we are sympathetically dealing the issue," Nath stated.
He mentioned that the entire cabinet was unanimous on providing permanent livelihood to the terminated teachers but without flouting rules or depriving anybody. The state government has already identified more than 10,000 posts in Group C and D categories , keeping the teachers' issue in mind.
However, Nath further warned, "Pressure tactics, agitation or illegal means will be tolerated. The left front government had given the jobs, which the court ruled illegal. And, this government is trying to help them and is fighting in the court for their cause despite knowing the history of the case and the possible impact. "In May 2014, a division bench of high court of Tripura had terminated the job of 10,323 teachers declaring the appointments "illegal" and nullified the employment policy of the then government.
Following the judgment, the state government had approached the Supreme Court challenging the ruling but the apex court upheld the decision of the high court. Later on, accepting state government's argument that the education system of the state will collapse if teachers were removed in such large numbers, the Supreme Court had extended their service on adhoc basis for a couple of times but it finally ended on March 31.
