Regularisation of ad hoc teachers in Darjeeling

"The GTA has decided to regularise the services of 269 ad hoc teachers appointed by the erstwhile Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council," GTA executive member in-charge of education, Roshan Giri said.

"Once this process is completed, we will also regularise the services of volunteer teachers,"he said.

Volunteer teachers are those who were asked by managing committees of schools to help out for free or for a nominal honourarium.

He said this would be followed by the recruitment of 225 primary school teachers who passed the interview in 2002.

The primary school teachers had appeared for an examination held by the district primary school body, but the DGHC never came out with the results.

Teachers have not been appointed in the hills since 2001 as the DGHC had opposed the appointments through the School Service Commission examination.

Following the opposition, the state government had set up a separate SSC for the hills. But the GNLF had opposed holding of the examinations under it saying ad hoc teachers had already been appointed.

Giri said "Out of the 269 ad hoc teachers, 173 approached the Calcutta High Court and obtained orders favourable to them. However, once the recruitment of ad hoc and volunteer teachers is completed, we will revive the SSC (hills) and thereafter all appointments will be made through the SSC."

There are 53 high schools and 65 secondary schools in the hills.

"We have found out that there are 643 sanctioned posts lying vacant," Giri said.

Asked whether the GTA needed approval from the state education department for filling up the posts, Giri replied in the negative.

"We need the government