Remove ‘illegally’ appointed guest faculty teachers: HC to Haryana

The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Monday directed the Haryana government to pass orders for the removal of all those guest faculty teachers within three weeks, who have allegedly been illegally appointed.

Recommending disciplinary action against the errant officers, the court also directed the director (Secondary Education) to take to logical conclusion, disciplinary action against all those head masters and district education officers (DEOs) responsible for such illegal appointments.

The directions were passed during the resumed hearing of a PIL filed by one Bijender Kumar who had sought the removal of 719 such guest faculties — as per a list sent by director (Secondary Education) to DEOs.

Director (Secondary Education) A Sreenivas filed an affidavit in this regard in the court stating that he had set up three committees to give personal hearing to guest faculties, who have submitted reports pertaining to 719 such teachers. He will now pass orders on the basis of recommendations made by these committees, he added. A division bench comprising acting Chief Justice Jasbir Singh and Justice R K Jain directed the officer to pass final orders within three weeks.

In his affidavit, Sreenivas has also stated that though orders for removal of one lecturer, 63 masters and 5 JBT teachers were issued, they were allowed to continue in service up to March 31. Taking a very serious view of the matter, the court directed that salary paid to such teachers be recovered from the officers who had sanctioned such salaries. The PIL will now come up for resumed hearing on September 10.