Opposition Leader Jiten Chowdhury Urges Fresh Review of 10,323 Teachers’ Case in Tripura

Leader of the Opposition and CPI(M) state secretary Jiten Chowdhury has urged the Tripura government to rethink the case of the 10,323 retrenched teachers. He made this appeal after the Calcutta High Court’s Division Bench passed a major judgment involving 26,000 teachers in West Bengal.

Jiten told reporters that Tripura’s situation is completely different. The teachers here lost their jobs due to procedural issues, not corruption. In contrast, the West Bengal case involved serious corruption charges and large-scale irregularities in recruitment.

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“If Bengal Can Show Compassion, Why Not Tripura?”

Jiten questioned why Tripura cannot show similar compassion.
He said, “If the court in Bengal can consider the suffering of 26,000 families, then Tripura should also consider the pain of the 10,323 teachers.”

He urged the state government to approach the court again or introduce a validation law to protect the jobs. According to him, many legal experts support this approach.

Recruitment Followed 1980 Policy, Not 2003 Rules

Jiten also explained that the teachers were recruited under the 1980 employment policy. He said the petitioners wrongly claimed that the recruitment followed rules made in 2003. Those 2003 rules, he added, were never published in the state gazette. The terminated teachers even submitted proof of this in court.

Due to this, he argued, cancelling thousands of jobs through a single notification was unfair. He said the step violated the Constitution and the procedure prescribed by law.

Government Must Honour Its Pre-Poll Promise

Jiten reminded the government that the BJP had made a clear promise in its Vision Document before the 2018 Assembly polls. He said the ruling party should honour that commitment.

He also asked the government to view the issue from a humanitarian perspective. According to him, “It is never too late to correct a wrong.”

Present Condition of the Terminated Teachers

Jiten said the situation of the 10,323 teachers has changed over time. Some of them have found new jobs. However, many others have now crossed the age limit for government service.

He added that several teachers and employees, who were recruited under the same 1980 policy, still work in different government departments. Therefore, he said, the government should review the issue again and ensure fairness.

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