135 elementary school heads to be reverted, notice issued

Ravinder Saini

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Rohtak, March 11

In a major setback to 135 elementary school headmasters (ESHMs) working in government schools of various districts, the Directorate of Elementary Education has initiated the process to revert them to the post of Sanskrit teacher.

The directorate has also issued a show-cause notice the ESHMs to explain why they should not be reverted. The headmasters have been asked to file their replies within 15 days.

Sources claim the action has been taken in view of writ and contempt petitions filed by some senior Sanskrit teachers in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, in which they pleaded that their junior counterparts have been promoted by defeating their right of promotion. All 135 ESHMs got the promotion in different batches between 2013 and 2019.

The District Elementary Education Officers (DEEOs) have been directed to ensure the delivery of the show-cause notice to the 135 ESHMs through special messengers and send the receipts to the directorate immediately.

“The post of ESHM came into existence after the Haryana School Education (Group-c) State Cadre Service Rules were notified in 2012. For that, Sanskrit teachers rendering service in government schools were considered for promotion to the post of the ESHM. Consequently, they were promoted in 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2019,” the sources added.

“The promotions were made in court cases on the basis of the date of appointment as no seniority list was prepared at that time. Thereafter, a seniority list of the Sanskrit teachers was prepared and finalised in 2019. As per the seniority list, the promotion cases of the petitioners in pending writ pleas were examined. It was found that the promotion of such petitioners can’t be initiated without the reversion of the junior-most employees working as the ESHM due to a shortage of vacancies,” the sources added.

They said the authorities later examined the seniority with respect to the sanctioned post of employees working as the ESHM and found that 135 of them (promoted on the basis of the date of appointment) were much junior to the petitioners-employees who approached the HC for promotion. “Hence, the reversion show-cause notice to all 135 ESHMs be issued as it was specifically mentioned in their promotion order that it was subject to the terms and conditions,” the sources added.

Diljeet Singh, DEEO, Rohtak, said the Block Education Officers had been asked to ensure the delivery of the show-cause notice to the ESHMs concerned.

MOVE UNJUSTIFIED, WILL MOVE COURT

We were promoted as per the norms. Hence, the move to revert us is unjustified. We fulfil all mandatory academic qualifications for the post. Now, we will approach the HC against the reversion. Some of us have even retired. — An elementary school headmaster