Guwahati: A case involving the 10,323 terminated teachers in Tripura took a significant turn at the High Court under Justice Sabyasachi Datta Purkayastha. The court will hear the case, Bidhan Das and Ors. vs. the State of Tripura, again on August 18 in Court No. 3, pending confirmation in the official cause list, according to TRIPURAINFO.
The State Government narrowly avoided a fine for failing to submit required documents, including the Employment Policy of 2001, on August 8. Petitioners’ lawyers, Tarini K. Nayak, Amrit Lal Saha, and Aveek Saha, opposed the Government’s request for an adjournment.
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Justice Purkayastha granted the adjournment but warned that a Rs. 2,000 fine could be imposed if further delays occurred, stressing the need for swift resolution.
Later that day, Government lawyer Mangal Debbarma informed the Bench that he had submitted the documents. The hearing then continued for nearly three hours, with both sides presenting their arguments.
The Court asked the Government to clarify how the Tanmoy Nath Judgment applied to the teachers’ appointments. The court sought clarification on whether the Government appointed the teachers under the 2001 Employment Policy, as the petitioners claimed, or under the 2003 Employment Policy, which the High Court struck down in 2014.
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The Government’s lawyer contended that the Supreme Court had already resolved the issue in the Tanmoy Nath case. However, the petitioners’ lawyers argued that the termination of the teachers was based on flawed grounds.
The petitioners’ lawyers raised two critical points: the validity of the 2003 Employment Policy and the relevance of the Tanmoy Nath Judgment to the case.
Amrit Lal Saha argued that the Government’s mass termination violated Article 311 of the Constitution, citing the Constituent Assembly debates and B.R. Ambedkar’s observations.
The Government was unable to effectively counter these points. Justice Purkayastha allowed the petitioners’ lawyers to review the documents submitted by the State before the next hearing. The case was adjourned to August 18.
The outcome of this case will determine if the terminated teachers have a chance for legal relief.