Maharaja’s College teachers’ transfer plea rejected
The court granted the petitioners time till June 16 to submit the undertaking
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-06-11 06:47 GMT
Kochi: Kerala High Court on Wednesday dismissed a petition filed by 10-odd teachers of Maharaja’s College against the order of the Kerala Administrative Tribunal refusing their plea to stay a government order insisting on the teachers to furnish a written undertaking expressing their willingness to take up additional responsibilities.
A division bench comprising Justice P.R. Ramachandran Nair and Justice Babu Mathew P. Joseph said that the petitioners could continue in the college if an undertaking was given by them. The court granted the petitioners time till June 16 to submit the undertakings.
According to the petitioners, they had been transferred on the ground that they had not submitted any undertaking as per the government order issued in the wake of the declaration of autonomy to the college. The petitioners also alleged that no sufficient publication had been given regarding the revised norms laid down pursuant to the declaration of autonomy to the college.
The state submitted that there was no basis for such a contention. Immediately after calling for the application for transfers, a circular was issued about the need to submit an undertaking on shouldering additional responsibilities in view of the change in the circumstances. .
Out of the 169 teachers working in the college, as many as 117 had submitted the undertaking. Besides, 42 teachers working elsewhere had also expressed their willingness to work in Maharaja’s College and give the undertaking. In fact, the order of transfer had already been given effect and some teachers had joined the college.