HC clears decks, Haryana set to appoint 9,000 JBT teachers

CHANDIGARH: The Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday vacated the stay on the appointment of 9,455 junior basic training (JBT) teachers for state’s primary schools. The stay was imposed by an HC division bench in May 2016 after allegations of discrepancies surfaced in the selection process.

The recruitment process had started in the tenure of former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in 2012.

The result was declared by the Haryana Staff Selection Commission in September 2014. Recently acting on the petitions of selected candidates, the SC had asked the high court to decide the matter expeditiously. The Haryana govt, too, had sought early hearing in March this year arguing that there was shortage of teachers, but failed to convince the court.

The bench of justice Surya Kant and justice Sudip Ahluwalia while vacating the stay asked the state government to not to fill 50 odd posts on which dispute had arisen and candidates’ recommendations have been challenged before the court.

The detailed order is awaited. It was on May 5, 2016 that a high court division bench had stayed the appointments acting on a petition, wherein it was submitted that names were illegally and arbitrarily recommended for appointments.

The petitioners had sought preparation of a fresh merit list. The selected candidates, too, had approached court alleging that appointments were being stalled at the behest of guest faculty, appointed during the tenure of former Congress government.