Pack off teachers: Supreme Court to Telangana State, Andhra Pradesh

TEACHERS’ DEPUTATION AS PAs, PSs

New Delhi: A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court consisting of Justice Dipak Mishra and Justice C Nagappan, which found fault earlier with the deputation of teachers as private secretaries to people’s representatives in Telugu States, on Wednesday directed the respondents to rejoin their teaching jobs by October 1.

• TS government tells the apex court that it has already issued a directive to send all the teachers back to schools
• But the court wants to know the ground report as one of the petitioners submitted to the court that at least three professors are working as personal secretaries to the Assembly Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Legislative Council Chairman
• AP government is not represented at the hearing
• The court tells Telangana and Andhra Pradesh that implementation of Right to Education is the responsibility of State governments

“Entire process must be completed by then,” the court ordered the State governments. The teachers pleaded that their children’s academic schedules would be upset if they were to leave the present posts now and sought at least a year’s time.

Terming their deputations as illegal, the Bench asked, “Is there such a precedent or practice anywhere in the country, wherein teachers and professors work as PAs and PSs?” The Bench said if they were allowed to continue in their present capacities, it would tantamount to the apex court disregarding its duty in protecting the Constitution.

Counsel Sravan Kumar, on behalf of the Telangana State Parents Foundation which impleaded in the case against the deputations, also brought to the notice of the court that at least three professors were at present working as personal secretaries of the Speaker of the Assembly, Deputy Speaker and Chairman of the Council, besides teachers continuing as PAs.

Senior Counsel P Vishwanath Setty, who argued on behalf of the Telangana State government, maintained that a GO was issued on August 30 this year against such deputations and there were no teachers working as PAs now of any people’s representatives - MPs, MLAs, ZP Chairpersons, etc. in the State.

When the Bench insisted on knowing the exact position, he said he would get back to the court with a ground report in three weeks. He promised to get back to the government to ensure that the court directive is implemented without fail even in case of assistant professors and professors. The Court directed that if it was not the case (teachers still continued), fresh orders must be issued at once and the orders adhered to, so that the ‘teaching staff is packed off’. AP government was not represented at the hearing.

During its last hearing the bench had ordered ‘immediate steps’ to relieve the teachers working on deputation as personal secretaries and private assistants to the Ministers, MPs and MLAs and post them to the schools concerned.” The bench reminded the governments that providing basic amenities in schools and implementation of Right to Education Act were the responsibilities of State governments.

The bench was dealing with a batch of petitions seeking directions to Telangana and AP governments to take steps for filling up of teachers’ vacancies in government schools. Hearing was adjourned to September 15.