High court notice to Punjab on contractual teachers’ plea

The Punjab and Haryana high court has put the Punjab government on notice on pleas by 100-odd teachers working under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), who fear their displacement with the appointment of the regular faculty.

The response has been sought by the bench of justice Jaswant Singh by January 17.

The petitioners told the court that in October 2018, the Punjab government floated a scheme for 8,800 teachers working under the central government-sponsored programme, wherein they were to opt for absorption against sanctioned post but on reduced salary.

Only 800 teachers out of 8,800 opted for the scheme and now the government has started appointing regular faculty against those teachers who did not opt for the scheme, the court was told.

These teachers under central government scheme get a salary of ₹40,000 per month but government is offering only ₹15,000, though with a promise to regularise their services in future.

The Newly regularised teachers are being appointed against their posts, and they are being relieved with a view to terrorise and force them to give option for regularisation at reduced salaries, the petitioners alleged.

Their counsel had told the court that at least three such relieving orders were issued to teachers in the recent past in order to arm-twist and coerce them to opt for absorption as per the government scheme.

A woman SSA teacher, who was seven-month pregnant, was suddenly relieved on joining of a regular teacher in her place earlier this week, she became unconscious due to shock, and had to be admitted in a Patiala hospital, the court was told seeking its intervention. HTC

HIGH COURT BENCH OF JUSTICE JASWANT SINGH HAS SOUGHT GOVT’S RESPONSE BY JANUARY 17