Tripura creates 13,000 posts to 'accommodate' teachers facing the axe

The Tripura government on Wednesday created 13,000 non-teaching posts in two departments - ostensibly to "accommodate" 10,323 teachers facing the axe due to a March 29 Supreme Court verdict.

Announcing the decision of the council of ministers, which held a meeting on Wednesday, Education and Law Minister Tapan Chakraborty said that 12,000 non-teaching posts were created under the Education Department and 1,000 posts under the Social Welfare and Social Education Department.

"The government would soon start the process to recruit eligible people for these 13,000 newly created posts. However, applicants for the 12,000 posts under Education Department must have five years teaching experience," Chakraborty told reporters.

"Those 10,323 government teachers losing jobs after December 31 due to the apex court verdict can apply for the newly-created 13,000 posts," he said.

He said that as all the 13,000 posts are for non-teaching jobs, they would not fulfil many of the criteria laid down in the Right to Education Act.

The Left Front government in Tripura was placed in an awkward situation after the Supreme Court terminated the jobs of 10,323 government teachers.

"Considering all aspects and to overcome the situation that arose after the Supreme Court verdict, the Tripura government in a significant step created 13,000 posts in two departments to accommodate 10,323 teachers and to protect their jobs," a senior minister told IANS on condition of anonymity.

The Supreme Court on March 29 upheld the Tripura High Court order to terminate the jobs of 10,323 teachers, but allowed them to continue in service till December 31.

The court asked the state government to frame a new Employment Policy by April 30, to initiate fresh recruitment by May 31 and complete it by December 31.

The Supreme Court allowed all serving teachers, candidates not selected and others to participate by relaxing the age limit but subject to possession of other required qualifications.

The Supreme Court order came on three special leave petitions filed by the Tripura government, the terminated serving teachers and aggrieved job seekers.

The Tripura High Court division bench headed by then Chief Justice Deepak Kumar Gupta (now elevated to Supreme Court) terminated the jobs of these teachers citing irregularities.

The newly created non-teaching posts include Academic Counsellor (1,200 posts), Student Counsellor (3,400), School Library Assistant (1,500), Hostel Warden (300) and School Assistant (5,600) and Early Childhood Coordinator (1,000).

The Minister said the applicants for the post of Academic Counsellor must hold Post Graduate degree, while for the posts of Student Counsellor, School Library Assistant, Hostel Warden, candidates must be at least Graduate, while for the remaining posts the qualification would be secondary and higher secondary degree.

--IANS

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