KARUNA KANTA KALITA Vs. STATE OF ASSAM

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioner before this court is the General Secretary of a registered Association of Middle English School Teachers. The association has taken up the cause of its members/teachers who are aggrieved by the non-payment of their salary and the inaction on the part of the respondent-authorities to regularise their services.

(2.) I have heard Mr. R.C.Saikia, learned counsel for the petitioner and also Mrs. Singh, learned state counsel for the respondents.

(3.) The case of the petitioner in short is that, in response to an advertisement published on 3.9.91 in the English daily. The Sentinel for filling up the posts of Assistant Teachers in various Middle Schools of the State, many qualified candidates including the persons represented by the petitioner association in the instant proceeding offered their candidature. As there was no advisory Board/Selection Board at the relevant time, appointment orders were issued in anticipation of the approval of the Sub-Divisional Advisory Board for Elementary Education Guwahati/Rangia. The persons represented by the petitioner association were similarly appointed in the year 1993 in the scale of pay of Rs. 1185/- to 2395/- per month. Though initially their appointments were for a period of 4 months, it was thereafter extended from time to time and the petitioner association claims that they are still continuing in service though since 1995, their pay has been denied. The grievance highlighted in the petition is that though the petitioner association had in the meantime submitted several representations before the respondent-authorities praying for regularisation of service of the teachers represented by them, no positive steps have been taken by the respondent-authorities as a result whereof neither they are receiving their salary nor their services have been regularised.