Meghalaya contest elections: Government teachers can now contest.
Meghalaya contest elections: Government teachers can now contest.
Meghalaya Contest Elections
Shillong: With just two months left for the assembly polls in the state, the Meghalaya High Court has quashed the government’s earlier order, making government teachers eligible to contest the polls.
According to the 2018 policy of the Meghalaya Contest Elections, teachers of government-aided colleges were barred from contesting elections and holding positions in political parties.
Notably, the National People’s Party (NPP)-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government issued an order in 2018, barring teachers from engaging in political activities, stating that schools and colleges should be kept “politic-free”.
On the other hand, the Meghalaya High Court quashed the government order, saying that teachers of government-aided colleges are not held to hold office of profit.
Meghalaya High Court Justice HS Thangkhew set aside the notification dated 23.03.2021 and quashed it as the result of faulty decision-making process.
The illegal amendments made in the impugned notification dated 23.03.2021, amending the Aided College Employees Rules, being the product of a faulty decision-making process, are held to be unsustainable, and therefore, the impugned notification is set aside is held and quashed,” said Meghalaya High Court Justice HS Thangkhiew.
“Considering the discussions held and the settled legal position, in the view of this Court the petitioners are not found to be in a position of profit, and if, they had fulfilled the other conditions laid down in Article 102 ( 1) and 191(1), cannot be prevented by laws as amended from contesting elections or holding political office,” the order said.
“Further, the contention that the government exercises deep and wide control over the services of the petitioners and institutions is not proved by the material on record,” the court said.
