Delhi HC issues notices to Govt, civic bodies on plea for special teachers in MCD schools

The Delhi High Court issued notices to the Delhi government, South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC), and the Delhi Subordinate Staff Selection Board (DSSSB) on Friday on an application which alleged delay in filling up the 1,540 posts of special educators in MCD-run schools.

A bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar sought to know the stand of the authorities after an application was filed in a pending PIL, which alleged that till date the authorities have not even conducted the examinations for these posts.

The court sought a status report in this regard and fixed the next date of hearing on January 23.

The application filed by Mamta Devi, through advocate Ashok Agarwal, had contended that in pursuance of the High court order in September 2009, the three civic bodies had created 1,741 posts of special educators.

"Out of these 1,741 posts of special educator, 1,540 posts are still lying vacant, which means 89 per cent posts of special educators in MCD-run schools have not been filled up so far," the application said.

The plea requested that a direction be immediately given to issue dates for examination for filling up of the posts in accordance to the advertisements issued in August last year.

The court's directions come while hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) by Mamta Devi and her husband Shyam Nandan, who sell vegetables in Katwaria Sarai in south Delhi. The couple had alleged that their two mentally-disabled sons had stopped attending school due to lack of special educators. Justice Indermeet Kaur had converted the petition into a PIL.