Dehradun: Uttarakhand high court has directed additional director, secondary education at Kumaon Mandal, Nainital, to decide within two weeks the transfer application of a widowed assistant teacher seeking posting at Govt Girls Inter College, Pantnagar, while ordering that the relevant vacancy there should not be filled until a decision is taken.
Disposing of a petition filed by Reena Shukla against the state of Uttarakhand and others, the court of Justice Pankaj Purohit passed the order. Petitioner had sought directions to authorities to transfer her from Govt Girls Inter College, Banbasa in Champawat district, to Govt Girls Inter College, Pantnagar in US Nagar.
According to the petition, Shukla works as an assistant teacher, LT Grade, English. She stated before the court that she is a widow and mother of two daughters. One daughter is studying in Class VII at Bhartiyam School, Rudrapur, while the elder one is pursuing coaching studies for MBBS from Haldwani. The petitioner’s husband died in a road accident on May 8, 2024.
Her counsel submitted that she sought transfer under section 17 (1) (b) (v) of the Uttarakhand Annual Transfer for Public Servants Act, 2017, which, as argued before the court, provides for transfer on request by a widow. Court was informed that Shukla had submitted an application on Sept 5, seeking transfer to Pantnagar, where, according to her, the post of assistant teacher, LT Grade, English, was vacant.
Disposing of the petition, HC on Friday directed the official to decide the application within two weeks from the production of a certified copy of the order, “sympathetically and taking conscious note” of section 17 (1) (b) (v). The court further ordered that until a decision is taken, “the Pantnagar vacancy shall not be filled”.
