The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Secretary, Department of School Education, to appear before it on April 28 if its order regarding regularization of the teacher’s service is not complied with.
Justice R. Subramaniam and Justice N. Satish Kumar said, “It is with deep regret that we see that the Departments of the Government, especially the Education Department, do not comply with the orders of this Court despite repeated adjournments.”
The judges said, “We are of the very honest opinion that it is a self-injury on us because of the liberal approach we have adopted in contempt cases in the recent past. We think the time has come.” That we rectify ourselves in implementing the provisions of the Contempt of Court Act in letter and spirit.
The court directed the secretary of the school education department to appear in person on April 28 at 10.30 am. The judges said that if the court order is complied with by April 28, the secretary need not appear before the court. The court was hearing a contempt petition filed by M Paneer Das, a secondary grade teacher from Vellanvilai in Thoothukudi district.
In 2019, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court dismissed the appeal preferred by the District Education Officer, Thoothukudi, and directed the department officials to regularize the appointment of Paneer Das as a secondary grade teacher from 2002.
But, the order was not followed. The court took note of the fact that the State had filed a special leave petition before the Supreme Court against the order of the High Court. The special leave petition was dismissed in 2020 as it was not represented within 90 days. The court has fixed the hearing of the contempt case for April 28.