Decide on Kashmiri teachers:Delhi HC to government

New Delhi: 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 (L-G) 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 L-G 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 failed to get them any relief.