Early Times Report
Srinagar, Jan 21 : The State High Court today stayed Education department's directions whereunder Rehbar-e-Taleem Teachers have been denied benefits of the recently announced transfer policy for teachers in Jammu and Kashmir. Hearing a petition filed by members of ReT and regularized ReTs, a Single Bench of the Court comprising Justice Tashi Rabstan also issued notice to Commissioner Secretary to Education Department and Director School Education, seeking their objections. On 22 December last, government issued an order (No. 622-Edu of 2015), notifying transfer policy of employees of school education department. However, at direction no. 17 of the transfer policy, the government announced that in respect of ReTs/RReTs, the instant policy shall not apply and that a separate policy shall be notified for them. "The direction so far as RRTs is concerned is not only contrary to the government order (25 June 2014) but is also contrary to the direction passed by the Division Bench of the High Court on (08 June 2015)," Advocate M M Dar argued before the court. He said once the ReTs are regularized, they are brought at par with the general line teachers and as such they cannot be subjected to discrimination . "The regularized ReTs are working as general line teachers since last more than eight years and cannot be governed by separate set of rules," he said. In 2014, Education department accorded notional regularization for fixing of the seniority of the Regular ReT for pensionary and other retirement benefits. The education department also provided that RRTs shall be transferable after regularization within the district to which they belong. The order was challenged by general line teachers and their petition was dismissed by the high court on 31 December 2014. He said the services rendered and performed by the petitioners are same which are being performed by the general line teachers and both the set of employees are governed by the same rules and regulations more particularly by the rules of Jammu & Kashmir Civil Service Classification Control and Appeal Rules 1956, J&K Education Sub-ordinate Service Recruitment Rules, 1979 and other allied rules. |
