HP High Court notice to Chief Secretary over staff crunch in schools of Himachal Pradesh

Vijay Arora

Shimla, May 11

Expressing concern on the issue of lack of staff in the government schools of the state, the HP High Court today issued notice to the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Education). While issuing notices the court directed the officers to file their replies within three weeks.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Mohammad Rafiq and Justice Sandeep Sharma passed these orders in a petition taken up suo moto by the court as a public interest litigation on a letter addressed to the Chief Justice by one Pratap Singh Thakur of Bagshad village, Karsog tehsil in Mandi district.

In the petition, it was alleged that more than 2,000 posts of Junior Office Assistant and Librarian are lying vacant in the government schools across the state and the Education Department is not filling the posts deliberately so that the children of government schools join private schools to pursue their studies.

He has further alleged that due to lack of library and librarian in government schools, children are lagging behind in competitive examinations. As such, children are leaving government schools and opting for private schools.

The petitioner has sought the court to direct the state government to fill the vacant posts of librarians in the government schools on priority.

Told to file reply within 3 weeks

While issuing notices, the court directed the officers to file their replies within three weeks. In a petition, it was alleged that over 2,000 posts of Junior Office Assistant and Librarian are lying vacant in the government schools across the state and the Education Department is not filling the posts deliberately.