Unanimity on seniority to fill teachers' posts in Pondy

By Our Staff Reporter

PONDICHERRY, JUNE 6. Members of all parties made out a strong case in the territorial Assembly on Tuesday during question time that the Education Department should ensure that candidates seeking Secondary Grade Teacher posts in government schools were chosen on the basis of seniority in the register of the Employment Exchange.

As soon as the Tourism Minister, Mr. N. Rangaswamy told Mr. V. Balaji (TMC) that under the present procedure it would not be possible to appoint teachers on seniority basis, there was instant protest from the ruling and the Opposition blocks. Mr. Balaji said the administration should fill the vacancies on the basis of seniority because aspirants had been waiting for some ten years for jobs and as such had been going through a harrowing time.

The neighbouring Tamil Nadu government adopted the seniority criterion in recruitment of teachers and filling teacher vacancies. The territorial government could as well secure the details of how the process was gone about in Tamil Nadu and adopt them. Mr. Balaji said the Minister should thus reconsider the present stand in the larger interest of accommodating the candidates remaining jobless for years together.

The former Education Minister, Mr. S. P. Sivakumar (DMK) said there could be no problem or difficulty for the government practically as seniority in posting of teachers was the right yardstick. He said all the members were in agreement with this and hence the Minister should accept what was unanimous. He said in the backdrop of existing vacancies there could be opportunities for a number of candidates including those holding diplomas and degrees in education.

The former Health Minister, Mr. A.M.H. Nazeem (DMK) also pointed out that the administration could adopt seniority as the basis of selection. After listening to the views of all the members, Mr. Rangaswamy said the government would take into consideration all the suggestions.

Members elected from reserved segments, namely Mr. A. Marimuthu (DMK), Mr. R. Rajaraman (JD-U), Mr. A. Elumalai (TMC) and Mrs. Arasi (AIADMK) referred to the plight of candidates seeking jobs under quota for the Scheduled Castes. Mr. Marimuthu said way back in 1994 some 40 candidates were expected to be appointed according to quota because of some reason the process had been kept in abeyance. He said the vacant posts earmarked for Scheduled Castes should be filled with the candidates of Pondicherry origin, belonging to the category. The list had already been finalised. He wanted the Minister to give a firm reply on the issue.

The former Chief Minister, Mr. R. V. Janakiraman who found Mr. Rangaswamy being cornered by a volley of questions from the ruling and Opposition blocks as far as posting of teachers from among the Scheduled Caste candidates according to quota for SCs was concerned suggested that the Minister convene a meeting with authorities concerned and come to a decision. This saved the situation.

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