HC seeks response from Govt in 4 weeks
SHILLONG: The High Court of Meghalaya on Tuesday questioned senior Government advocate ND Chullai, for the inability of the Government to take action against the higher-ups involved in the education scam.
Hearing a petition of a group of teachers whose services were terminated after much talked about the education scam came to light, the Judge NK Singh, while questioning lack of action on the part of the Government against the erring higher ups, wanted the Government to file a reply in this regard within four weeks.
Based on the recommendations of the High Level Scrutiny Committee on education scam, the state education department on February 28 terminated the services of as many as 246 teachers.
The scam took place when the present Urban Affairs Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh was holding Education portfolio.
Earlier, many affected teachers in batches had sought the intervention of the High Court for legal redress.
However recently, the Chief Justice PC Pant while hearing a set of petitions of the aggrieved teachers, refused to stay the order of the education department to terminate the services of the teachers.
Political interference, nepotism, and tampering of marks have been brought to the fore by the CBI in relation to the appointment of assistant teachers in government lower primary schools, in Meghalaya.
The CBI report was prepared following a directive from Justice T. Vaiphei of the Shillong bench of Gauhati High Court. He had, on October 21, 2011, asked the investigating agency to inquire into the alleged anomalies in the appointment of the teachers.
In 2008, about 5,500 candidates had applied against 749 vacant posts of assistant teachers all over the state. An interview board was constituted in all centres across Meghalaya for selection of the candidates.
However, the CBI report, comprising 107 pages, unearthed largescale tampering in the selection and final appointment of the candidates.
“In the course of his examination, J.D. Sangma said under the instruction of the then education minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, he had to change the score sheet as prepared by all the five boards duly applying white fluid on the original marks as awarded by the members of the board,” the CBI report said.