School authorities told by HC to pay salary to teacher

The Madras High Court has directed school education authorities to pay salary to a teacher from August 2012 as he was not absorbed by any other school after closure of the institution he had worked in Kanyakumari district.

Justice D Hariparanthaman, in his order passed recently, ordered issue of notice to the School Education Secretary, Director, Elementary Education and District Elementary Education Officer and also directed them to pay the teacher his salary till he was absorbed in a school.

Susaimahesh, a second grade teacher, submitted in his petition that he was denied salary for more than a year by St Mary's Primary School in Kil Asaripallam of Kanyakumari district after it was closed.

He was appointed on August 1, 2005 and following its closure, the District Elementary Educational Officer passed an order on March 9, 2013, in which he directed the petitioner to join St Antony School in Senbagaramanbuttandurai.

As there was no vacancy in that school, the school authorities did not take him.

Later, DEEO of Kanyakumari had sent a communication to his counterpart in Tirunelveli district to accommodate the petitioner in any of the schools of that district.

Under these circumstances, Susaimahesh filed this petition praying for a direction to absorb him in any of the schools in Kanyakumari district and also pay him salary from August 2012 to the date of closure of the school, in which he was appointed.

The judge then directed the authorities concerned to pay salary arrears from August 2012 within four weeks and also directed school education authorities to pay the salary every month till he is absorbed.

PTI