Tripura Opposition Leader Urges Government to Reassess Teacher Terminations

Call for Reconsideration of Teacher Terminations

Agartala, Dec 7: Jiten Chowdhury, the Leader of Opposition in Tripura and secretary of the CPI(M), has urged the state government to revisit the situation of the 10,323 teachers who were laid off, especially in light of a recent ruling by a division bench of the Calcutta High Court regarding 36,000 teachers in West Bengal.

During a press conference, Chowdhury emphasized that the dismissal of teachers in Tripura was based solely on procedural issues, without any corruption allegations. He contrasted this with the West Bengal case, which involved serious corruption claims and irregularities in the hiring process that resulted in the termination of numerous teachers.

“If the Calcutta High Court can show compassion for the plight of 36,000 families, why can’t the same consideration be extended to the 10,323 teachers in Tripura?” he questioned.

The Leader of Opposition called on the state government to either seek a court order for reinstatement or to pass a validation law to safeguard these jobs, as recommended by legal experts.

Chowdhury further contended that the hiring of the 10,323 teachers was conducted under a policy established in 1980, rather than the disputed 2003 regulations cited by those challenging the appointments. He highlighted that the alleged 2003 rules were never published in the state gazette, a claim supported by evidence presented in court by the affected teachers.

“How can thousands of jobs be terminated through a single notification, which violates constitutional and legal norms?” he asked. Chowdhury also pointed out that this issue should be reconsidered in light of the commitments made by the ruling BJP in its Vision Document before the 2018 Assembly elections.

He emphasized the need to approach this matter from a humanitarian angle, stating, “It is never too late to rectify a past injustice.”

Chowdhury noted that many other employees and teachers hired under the 1980 policy are still employed in various government roles, highlighting the necessity for a thorough review.

He also mentioned that the circumstances of the 10,323 teachers have evolved over the years, with some finding new jobs while others have aged out of eligibility for government positions.

In 2014, the services of these 10,323 teachers were terminated after the High Court annulled the recruitment rules established by the previous Left Front Government in 1980. The Supreme Court later upheld this decision in 2017.

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