Education dept directed to file appeal petition before SC

SHILLONG, NOV 21: The state Cabinet today directed the education department to file an appeal petition before the Supreme Court against the recent judgment passed by the Meghalaya High Court into the 2009-education job scam.

“We have directed the education department to proceed forward to file an appeal petition before the Apex court on the matter,” chief minister Mukul Sangma told reporters after the meeting held here on Tuesday.

He said that the decision was taken after the cabinet was apprised upon on the overall status of the recruitment of teachers’ vis-à-vis the ruling of the High Court and the operational part as examined by the law department.

On November 2, the Meghalaya High Court annulled the entire selection process in the five centres — Shillong, Jowai, Amlarem, Tura and Dadenggre — where the CBI had conducted an inquiry, and unearthed anomalies in the selection process.

The CBI had conducted the inquiry in five of the 15 centres.

The CBI report had said that the enquiry has established that a majority of the candidates in the five centres were appointed in an irregular manner by changing the original marks and score sheet after applying white fluid on the original marks awarded by the board.

The number of candidates found tainted was 268 out of 365 appointed.

The High Court in its judgment also ordered handing over the investigation into the FIR filed in this regard with the Laitumkhrah Police station to the CBI and directed the same to be completed within a period of six months.

Asked on the relief the education department will be seeking from the Apex court, the chief minister said, “That will have to be attended by the team of lawyers who will be examining the whole operational part of the court’s judgment. Based on this, the petition will be drafted and therefore we leave it to the legal team.”

According to him, further decision on who should be the lawyer and other aspects will be attended to by the line departments.

Reacting to a query, Sangma said that taking into consideration other factors which include the fact that affected teachers (you have different categories) and the ramification thereof, hence this decision was taken up.

By Our Reporter