Interim relief: HC stays transfer of surplus teachers, asks committees to review rationalisation cases

RAIPUR: The Chhattisgarh High Court has granted interim relief to three government school teachers who challenged their transfers after being declared surplus under the state’s teacher rationalisation policy.

Justice Ravindra Kumar Agrawal, while hearing three separate writ petitions, directed that the impugned transfer orders be kept in abeyance until the respective District Rationalisation Committees examine the grievances. The petitions were filed by teachers Manoj Kumar Patel, Mamta Sahu, and Girendra Raj, all of whom argued that the surplus lists prepared by the state authorities were arbitrary and in violation of rationalisation guidelines.

They contended that they were not given a proper opportunity to be heard and that the transfers would cause them irreparable harm. Appearing for the petitioners, Advocate Mateen Siddique submitted that the rationalisation process had not been carried out in a fair or transparent manner. The state, represented by Additional Advocate General S P Kale and government advocates Ajit Singh and Suyash Dhar, maintained that the transfers were based on due verification of records.

After hearing both sides, the court instructed all three petitioners to file fresh representations before their respective District Rationalisation Committees by June 13, and to personally appear before the committees on either June 16 or June 17. The committees are required to decide the cases within seven days of receiving the representations, and in the interim, the transfer orders will remain suspended. The court disposed of the petitions with these directions.