As assured in the state assembly, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Wednesday met a delegation of retrenched 10, 323 teachers and assured them will take all positive steps as per law to rehabilitate them

As assured in the state assembly, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Wednesday met a delegation of retrenched 10, 323 teachers and assured them will take all positive steps as per law to rehabilitate them.

As promised in the state assembly the Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha had invited the representatives of the retrenched teachers for a discussion in his official chamber here at Civil Secretariat on Wednesday morning over the claims of retrenched teachers in presence Advocate General Siddhartha Sankar Dey and Law Secretary Biswajit Palit.

Sources said that after getting appointment and invitation from Chief Minister Office (CMO), a delegation of six members of retrenched teachers led by Bijay Krishna Saha explained how according to the High Court judgment of 2014 (Para-127) only teachers whose jobs had been challenged on the ground of recruitment rules-not more than 58-had been terminated and the same order has also been uphold by the Supreme Court in its order dated March 29th, 2017 last.

But, recently in a reply to RTI queries the Supreme Court has clarified that no teacher except the 462 notified had been parties to the case and their claims to reinstatement is justified as they had been illegally terminated en masse without any individual notice by the previous government.

After hearing the claims made by retrenched teachers, The Chief Minister had collected all the documents substantially proving their claims and Dr Saha said that he was not fully aware of all such developments over the cases of teachers, said Bijay Krishna Saha.

Saha speaking with media persons after their meeting with the Chief Minister said that CM has compassionately heard their grievance and assured that he will meet them again after Durga Puja celebration. Chief Minister also asked the agitated teachers for all relevant documents in support of their claims and assured that government will take all possible steps to rehabilitate them as per law.

Chief Minister also said that the Law department will analyze and verify all the submitted documents and after consultation with the Advocate General and Law Secretary of the state government, he will meet them again.

Bijay Krishna Saha and other retrenched teachers also added that the Chief Minister repeatedly told them within the framework of law, the present government wanted to rehabilitate and will take all necessary steps if the law and orders of Courts permit the state government.

He also directed the concerned law officials to examine the claims of teachers and to give suggestions to the state government to protect their livelihood.

The leaders of retrenched teachers have also expressed their satisfaction after meeting with the Chief Minister and added that they are now seeing a ray of hope to protect their livelihood and their families.

It may be recalled here that leader of the Opposition Manik Sarkar and the lone Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman condemned the police action held on September 26 during ‘assembly march’ by retrenched teachers and urged the Chief Minister to meet the agitating teachers. Accordingly, their representatives called on Dr Saha on Wednesday.