Woman teacher gets relief on HC order to allow her join duty

A woman school teacher, who was not allowed to join duty for two years at an aided elementary school at Latteri in Vellore district, today got relief with the Madras High Court directing the school secretary to allow her join join duty immediately.
Justice D Hariparanthaman, before whom the petition filed by one E Poongothai came up, noted that she had been kept out of employment for the past two years. She had moved the court seeking a direction to the Secretary of the school at Latteri to permit her join duty and pay her salary from March 6, 2012.

Poongothai submitted she was on 13 days medical leave from February 17 2012 and again from March 6 to 31. When she reported for duty, she was not permitted to join and was referred to the medical board to ascertain her fitness, examined and given a fitness certificate on April 23. Even after that, the school refused to permit her to join duty.
She had also filed an interim application seeking a direction to the school to permit her join duty in compliance with the direction of the Additional Assistant Elementary Education officer and District Elementary Education Officer.
"In view of the aforesaid facts, I am inclined to issue a direction to the school to permit her join duty forthwith," the judge said.

Both the directives of Additional Assistant Elementary Education officer and District Elementary Education officer on September 17, 2012 and October 25, 2012 to permit her join duty were not complied with.

The school filed an appeal before the Director of Medical Services who did not pass orders. So a direction was issued on the school's petition to DMS to dispose of the appeal within six weeks.
DMS rejected the school's appeal, following which they moved the High Court.
Both the petition and the appeal were also dismissed by the HC. As the school has not permitted her even after this, Poongothai filed the present petition.