The Delhi High Court has directed the AAP government to take an expeditious decision on regularising Kashmiri migrant teachers who had fled their state in the wake of disturbances and were working in government and municipal schools here on contractual basis for about 13 years.
A bench of Justices S Ravindra Bhat and Deepa Sharma issued the direction after the Delhi government informed it that its Cabinet has approved regularisation of the migrant teachers, numbering around 180, and the assent of Lieutenant Governor (LG) Anil Baijal was awaited.
The government said the Cabinet decision was taken in the middle of July this year and the file was sent to the LG on July 24 for approval.
Noting the statement made by the Delhi government’s additional standing counsel Santosh Kumar Tripathi, the court said it “expects that an expedient decision would be finally taken” and listed the matter on September 15 “for reporting the decision and further action taken” by the government.
The bench was hearing the government’s appeal challenging a 2015 order of a single judge of the high court directing regularisation of the Kashmiri migrant teachers employed on contractual basis in government and municipal schools in the national capital since 1994.
The 2015 order of the high court had come on the plea of the migrant teachers who were seeking equal pay and work benefits as well as regularisation of jobs, after their representations to the Centre and the Delhi government had failed to get them any relief.
While issuing the direction, the single judge had said the difference in pay was substantial.
The court had noted that according to 2015 figures, regular PGT and TGTs in government schools were getting Rs 70,401 and Rs 60,496, respectively, while the migrant teachers in these categories were getting Rs 29,187 and Rs 28,773.
In MCD schools, while regular teachers were in 2015 getting Rs 49,900, the migrant teachers were being paid Rs 25,000, it had said.
The court had also noted that while regular teachers were also given allowances and benefits like 10 per cent of school fees for child education, medical benefit for the entire family, bonus of Rs 3,454 per year, LTC of Rs 1,50,000 above once every four years and two months summer vacation, the Kashmiri migrant teachers were allowed only eight days of casual leave.
( Source – PTI )
