Hills teachers challenge Calcutta HC order cancelling 313 GTA jobs

Jalpaiguri: The 313 teachers from the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) region have approached the Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court to challenge the cancellation of their appointments over alleged recruitment irregularities.

The verdict in the case is scheduled for Wednesday, December 24, at the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench, before Justices Tapabrata Chakraborty and Biswarup Chowdhury.

Earlier, a single-judge bench, comprising Justice Biswajit Basu, had cancelled the appointments of 313 primary teachers under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA). Following this order, the teachers filed a counter petition seeking a stay on the cancellation. The hearing took place on Tuesday before the division bench.

The controversy traces back to a state Cabinet decision in 2017, which granted permanent teaching positions to 427 voluntary primary teachers under the GTA. However, the 313 teachers in question were reportedly not included in the Cabinet’s original regularisation plan. Challenging the regularisation of these teachers, a case was filed before the Calcutta High Court, leading to Justice Basu’s order. The order triggered an indefinite strike in GTA schools and widespread protests across the hills.

Piyush Biswas, representing the petitioners, said: “We filed an application seeking a stay on the Single Bench verdict. The Division Bench has heard submissions from all parties, and the verdict will be delivered on Wednesday.”

Advocate General and Additional Advocate General Jayjit Chowdhury appeared for the state. “In 2017, the state Cabinet approved the regularisation of 427 teachers. It was a finance concurrent.

There were 313 left out of which the DA had furnished a list later on. We were contemplating how to regularise the 313. The cabinet is yet to take a decision on this, but in principle, we had agreed to regularise them.

However, till the Cabinet gives a nod and it is finance concurrent one cannot regularise or appoint. We have filed an affidavit to this effect. The state had formulated a committee in 2023 to look into this issue, the report of which we have submitted to the court. We are now praying for interim relief,” stated Chowdhury.