Kolkata, August 19: The Kolkata High Court expressed its dissatisfaction on Tuesday regarding the appointment of school teachers for census work in West Bengal.
Justice Krishna Rao, presiding over a single-judge bench, questioned whether the central government consulted the state government before deciding to appoint school teachers for this task.
Earlier, the Kolkata High Court had raised concerns about the large-scale appointment of school teachers for census duties. The court suggested that instead of employing many teachers at once, the state government could assign a few to avoid overwhelming them with additional responsibilities alongside their regular teaching duties.
During the hearing of a petition challenging the mass appointment of teachers for census work, Justice Rao sought clarification on the timing allocated for teachers. He noted that if this time is scheduled after regular teaching hours and on weekly holidays, it would place excessive pressure on the teachers.
He also recommended that census officials consider adjusting the timing for teachers assigned to census work.
The bench emphasized that the extensive involvement of school teachers in the census process should not disrupt the Right to Education (RTE) or the regular classes of students. Additionally, they advised the state government to formulate a balanced administrative plan regarding this matter.
The petitioners, primarily teachers from government and government-aided schools, argued that the long distances they must travel to reach schools and the limited weekly holiday of only Sunday make it impossible for them to handle the added pressure of census duties.
Earlier this year, when a significant number of teachers were appointed for the ‘Special Intensive Revision‘ (SIR) work ahead of the assembly elections, there was widespread protest from the education sector regarding this issue.
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