‘Tainted’ teachers suffer HC blow

SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya has refused to stay the termination of services of the teachers by the State Government following the education scam.
Earlier, since the matter was pending in the Court, the Assembly Speaker AT Mondal did not admit a resolution moved by the Opposition legislators during the just concluded Budget session of the Assembly by saying that the matter was sub-judice.
It was on February 28 that the termination letters were issued by the School Education and Literacy department to as many as 246 teachers.
The Chief Justice P C. Pant in an order issued on March 18 dismissed the writ petitions filed by the aggrieved teachers, whose services were terminated by the Education Department.
Though the services of teachers were terminated, there was no action from the Government against the higher ups including the then Education Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh as it was with her knowledge that deserving candidates were sidelined and non eligible candidates were appointed.
The Chief Justice, however, observed that the aggrieved petitioners have the “liberty to seek remedy for the new cause of action, if any arisen”.
However, after hearing another petition in this regard, the Court on March 10 had issued notice to the state Government to file its replies within a period of four weeks.
Earlier, through the proposed resolution which was disallowed by the Speaker, the Opposition   wanted to ask  the Chief Minister to sack Ampareen, who is currently the urban affairs minister.
According to the Opposition, as per the CBI report, Ampareen as the then Education Minister   had a role in the appointment of lower primary school teachers and similarly the Government has taken cognizance of the High Level Committee report and gone ahead to terminate the service of 246 teachers.