By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Gauhati High Court Bench in Shillong on Friday issued directive to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to inquire into the anomalies related appointment of assistant teachers on government lower primary schools in the state.
“In my opinion, as there are strong prima facie evidence of massive irregularities, arbitrariness and manipulations, it can be said with a high degree of certainty that something has gone wrong of a nature and degree which requires the intervention of this court,” Justice T Vaiphei observed in his judgement.
The court also directed the CBI to inquire into the allegations of the petitioners and submit the inquiry report within a period of three months from the date of receipt of the copy of this judgment.
The court gave its order in response to nine writ petitions filed seeking court’s intervention after anomalies were detected in the process of appointment of LP teachers in 2009-2010 while gleaning information about it under the provisions of the RTI Act. The irregularities in appointment procedure were first noticed by the group of candidates who had applied for posts at Jowai in Jaintia Hills district.
Justice Vaiphei also said, “Numerous undeserving and unmeritorious candidates have been selected and eventually given appointments. Conversely, many meritorious and deserving candidates like some of the writ petitioners herein appear to have been arbitrarily deprived of their right to appointments to the posts of assistant teachers.” Justice Vaiphei added.
The court while observing that it was not advisable for the court to quash the entire selection process and the consequential appointments at this stage, said such an action could be resorted to only when the allegations of anomalies were established in an inquiry.
“On the basis of the inquiry report so submitted, the respondent authorities shall take necessary and consequential actions including cancellation of the entire selection processes and the appointments already made in connection therewith and re-starting of the recruitment process to fill up the posts in question within a period of two months thereafter,” Justice Vaiphei said.
