GUWAHATI, Nov 18 � The State Government has decided to regularise the services of schoolteachers who were irregularly appointed in excess of the number of posts vacant during the period from 1991 to 2001.
This, however, will not be applicable to the teachers who were �illegally� appointed during the same period. The distinction between the two is that the irregularly appointed lot had been selected in the due process and had their names in the selection list even though they were appointed against non-existing posts, whereas in the recruitment of the illegally appointed, the due process of law was not followed.
Informing this to the media today, Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that the State Cabinet had taken a decision in principle to absorb the irregularly appointed teachers who had been working in lower primary and upper primary schools since 1991 without any break till date.
Referring to a Gauhati High Court observation in its order dated April 30, 2009 in which the court expressed its dissatisfaction at the failure of the State Cabinet to take a decision on the matter resulting in prolonged and multiple litigations, Sarma said that in pursuant to the court�s observation as also in view of the embargo on fresh appointments by the court, the Education Department placed the matter before the Cabinet on February 26.
�We proposed constitution of a screening committee to examine the cases of these teachers so as to take a decision for their regularization or otherwise, and the Cabinet gave its approval to the proposal and decided in principle to consider absorption of the teachers appointed irregularly but not illegally,� Sarma said.
�This will be done following the due procedure and in accordance with the judicial pronouncements made from time to time during the period,� he added.
The minister said that five screening committees were being constituted for the State in five divisions, viz. Upper Assam, Lower Assam, North Assam, Barak valley and Hills, and BTC Area. Each screening committee will be headed by a Joint Secretary (in service or retired) and assisted by a forensic expert to verify the handwriting and also to preempt possible manipulation of records.
�The committees will determine the eligibility or otherwise of the teachers in question for absorption as regular schoolteachers,� he said, adding that the list of eligible teachers would be finalized within six months.
Around 4,000 teachers � appointed either irregularly or illegally between 1991 and 2001 � claim to be working in lower primary and upper primary schools in different districts of the State. There are around 6,000 High Court cases arising mainly from their non-regularization of services and non-payment of salaries.
