Tripura LoP seeks reconsideration of 10,323 teachers’ case after Bengal HC verdict

Agartala, Dec 7: Tripura Leader of Opposition (LoP) and State CPI(M) secretary Jiten Chowdhury has asked the Tripura Government to reconsider the issue of the 10,323 retrenched teachers of the State in the light of the recent Calcutta High Court division bench verdict concerning 36,000 teachers in West Bengal.

Speaking to media persons here, Chowdhury said that the termination of teachers’ jobs in Tripura had occurred purely on procedural grounds, with no allegations of corruption. In contrast, he noted that the West Bengal case involved extensive corruption charges and widespread irregularities in recruitment, which had led to the dismissal of thousands of teachers.

“If the division bench of the Calcutta High Court can compassionately consider the suffering of 36,000 families, why cannot similar consideration be made for the 10,323 teachers of Tripura?” he asked.

The LoP urged the State Government to either approach the court seeking reinstatement or enact a validation law to protect the jobs, as suggested by eminent jurists.

Chowdhury further argued that the recruitment of the 10,323 teachers was carried out on the basis of a policy framed in 1980 – not under the purported 2003 rules, as claimed by petitioners challenging the appointments. He pointed out that the alleged 2003 rules had never been notified in the State gazette, a fact supported by documents submitted in court by the terminated teachers.

“In such circumstances, how can thousands of jobs be abolished through a single notification, in violation of the Constitution and established legal procedures?” he asked. Chowdhury added that the matter should be reviewed in the context of the ruling BJP’s commitments made in its Vision Document prior to the 2018 Assembly elections.

He stressed that the issue should also be viewed from a humanitarian perspective, asserting that “it is never too late to correct a past wrong”.

Chowdhury noted that several other employees and teachers recruited under the 1980 policy and rules continue to serve in various government departments, underscoring the need for a comprehensive re-examination.

He further said that the situation of the 10,323 teachers has changed over the years, with some securing new employment while others have crossed the age limit for recruitment in government service.

In Tripura, the services of 10,323 teachers were terminated in 2014 after the High Court struck down the recruitment rules framed by the then Left Front Government in 1980. The Supreme Court later upheld the High Court verdict in 2017.

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