Relief for 121 GTA primary teachers as HC dismisses review petition

Darjeeling: In a major relief to 121 primary school teachers under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), the Calcutta High Court’s Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench has dismissed a review petition filed by president of Darjeeling Gorkha Unemployed Primary Trained Teachers’ Welfare Organisation and others challenging their appointments in 2019.

Earlier, the organisation had filed a writ petition at the Calcutta High Court challenging the legality of the appointments. However, the Calcutta High Court had ruled in favor of the teachers.

The petitioners then filed a review plea in the Jalpaiguri Circuit Bench of the Calcutta High Court. The petitioners had prayed for a special investigating team to conduct an independent enquiry to find out the erring officials or persons involved in the ‘illegal recruitment, and submit a report to the court’, ‘to set aside/quash /cancel the advertisement dated February 25, 2019 by which appointments are being sought to primary schools under the guise of conducting Regional Teachers Eligibility Test’, set aside/cancel/quash the illegal appointment of 121 teachers’. It was submitted on behalf of the association that the 121 primary teachers were appointed without due process of law.

After going through the submissions and hearing the sides, Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya ruled “...the writ petition is a speculative one and is not maintainable and accordingly dismissed”.

Reacting to the decision, Dinesh Mahanta, Secretary of the Hill Terai Primary Teachers’ Organisation, Kalimpong District Committee, congratulated all 121 teachers and extended best wishes for their future.

He also expressed gratitude to the GTA and the state government for their continued support since the beginning of the legal process.