Agartala:The Left Front government on Wednesday announced the new employment policy, though it is challenging the decision of Tripura High Court which had cancelled the policy last May.
The council of ministers set aside the 35-year-old policy, which had the provision of offering any government job based 70 per cent based on merit and seniority and 30 per cent on need, but there was no clear cut method to determine these criteria.
“The government has insisted transparent method of selection for Grade C and D preferably through written test. And if not, there will be five criteria to be judged – seniority, academic record, aptitude, job specialization and extra-curricular activities. Grade A and B post to be filled up through sate public service commission,” said Education Minister Tapan Chakraborty.
He said the state govern-ment has targeted to improve the quality of service in the public sector and also to ensure a trans-parent system of appoin-tment. But it will be possible only when employment policy of the state will be methodical, transparent and merit driven.
Mr Chakraborty pointed out that the government is going to constitute teachers selection board with renowned academics of the state, which will conduct Teachers’ Eligibility Test (TET) for recruitment of teachers in the elementary level.On May 7, a division bench of the high court, comprising Chief Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice S C Das, had cancelled the job of 10,323 teachers in diffe-rent government schools.
The HC took the step following reports of unfair means adopted in the recruitment process. It observed that the policy of need and merit based employment is beyond the constitution.
The court had allowed the government to continue classes with the existing teachers till today and the state government was asked to start process of fresh appointment of teacher under an independent body with written test by following the guidelines.
Meanwhile, challenging the HC judgment the Tripura government moved the Supreme Court and got an interim stay on the order. The SC stated that the stay will continue till disposal of the case. The date of hearing is scheduled on January 12 next.
“We also feel the observation of HC is very much logical and for the betterment of the adminis-tration.But the state govern-ment cannot accept the decision of termination of 10,323 teachers on human-itarian ground and this is why the state approached the apex court,” Mr Chakra-borty said adding that realizing the high court’s obser-vation the state government adopted the new employment policy. (UNI)
