Tripura Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath addressing media at Agartala on May 31, 2018. Photo: Pinaki Das

BJP-led government in Tripura has decided to appeal to the Apex court for extension of service of 10,323 teachers up to June 2020.

Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath informed media after the Cabinet meeting on Thursday.

Earlier during the Left Front regime in December last, the Supreme Court had extended the December 31 deadline to terminate 10,323 Tripura government teachers as per its earlier order following a State Government appeal by six months to June 30.

The then Left Front Government in Tripura had earlier moved the apex court and urged it to extend the deadline by a year, though a bench comprising Justices Adarsh Kumar Goel and Uday Umesh Lalit extended it only for six months.

On March 29, 2017, the Supreme Court had upheld a Tripura High Court verdict to terminate these government teachers on the ground of certain indiscretions.

In an apparent move to circumvent the Supreme Court order, the then Left Front Government in the month of May, 2017, announced the recruitment of 12,000 non-teaching staff in the Education Department, ostensibly to ‘accommodate’ these teachers.

Ratan Lal Nath also said the state government adopted the Central Victim Compensation Fund to help women victims. State gets Rs 1.15 crore under the fund.

He said for the state government reduction of crime against women is top priority besides extending monetary help.

Pinaki Das is Northeast Now Correspondent in Agartala. He can be reached at: [email protected]