SHILLONG, March 1 � Justice has been served to a group of 25 youths with the State Government announcing their appointment by terminating the services of 246 lower primary school teachers appointed �illegally� by the Education department in 2010.
The Education department based on the recommendation of the Government-constituted High Level Scrutiny Committee (HLSC) served termination letters to these 246 teachers, out of 350, on Friday. In their place, 25 teachers who had passed the test, but were not given jobs would be appointed, officials in the Education department said.
�246 teachers were served termination letters based on the recommendation of the HLSC,� School Education and Literacy director Ambrose Ch Marak said. He further added that 25 candidates would be appointed in their place.
But getting justice was not easy, as these 25 youths fought a long and hard legal battle against the illegal appointments. Sensing that their appointment was stopped by politicians and other Government officials, despite clearing the recruitment test and interviews, they had first filed an RTI.
It became apparent from the details of the RTI that the recruitment process was shady. With this information these candidates approached the Court for redressal. The Court ordered the CBI to investigate the case and the revelation was startling.
The investigation agency found that names of candidates who passed their examination and interviews were erased using correction fluid by officials from the Education department, allegedly at the behest of the then Education Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh � now holding the Urban Affairs portfolio � and other politicians.
The CBI report was somehow leaked to the media which caused a stir and there was an immediate demand for the removal of Lyngdoh from her post. But, the Government instead kept aside the CBI report and with the Court�s permission ordered its own investigation by constituting the HSLC.
But, now in a way, the decision to terminate these teachers is an admission by the Meghalaya Government that the Education departments conducted illegally during the 2010 appointment.
