Surjewala urges Haryana govt to reinstate 1,983 physical training instructors

In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Surjewala also suggested a "draft bill" for "providing security of service to these instructors in the interest of justice and equity". In April this year, the Supreme Court had upheld the decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashing appointment of 1,983 physical training instructors in schools of Haryana in 2010, and asked the state staff selection commission to conduct the recruitment process afresh.

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala on Monday urged the Haryana government to reinstate the 1,983 sacked physical training instructors by issuing an ordinance and ratifying it through a bill passed by the state legislature. In a letter addressed to Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Surjewala also suggested a "draft bill" for "providing security of service to these instructors in the interest of justice and equity".

In April this year, the Supreme Court had upheld the decision of the Punjab and Haryana High Court quashing appointment of 1,983 physical training instructors in schools of Haryana in 2010, and asked the state staff selection commission to conduct the recruitment process afresh. The apex court had upheld the verdicts passed by the single and division benches of the high court quashing the appointment process conducted during the then Congress government led by B S Hooda.

Surjewala urged the state government to issue an ordinance to reinstate the physical training instructors (PTIs) which can then be ratified through a bill. "I am more than certain that this welfare legislation will have the unequivocal support of the entire Haryana Assembly," Surjewala wrote.

"I urge upon you to take immediate steps to ensure that these 1,983 PTI teachers and their families are not abandoned to the vagaries of unemployment for an irregularity, if any, on the part of the recruiting authority," the Congress leader said. He said the families of these instructors will "suffer disproportionately" due to the circumstances COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown have created.

Surjewala said all of these PTIs are overage and unlikely to secure any other employment. He told reporters over a video conference that the sacked instructors had played no role in the selection process and had participated in good faith and a bona fide manner.

"To penalize them for no fault of their own and for any infirmities caused by the recruiting authority would amount to a dereliction of duty and gross injustice on the part of the Haryana state government", he said. "If there has been an irregularity in selection, it is solely the remit of the recruiting authority and its brunt cannot be borne by innocent individuals and their families, who are being retrenched from their jobs after long years of service and at a time when unemployment is at a historic high and the pandemic makes getting alternative employment virtually impossible," the Congress leader said.

Surjewala said the instructors were innocent and the court has not held them guilty for any malicious act. “The Supreme Court's decision found neither corruption in the PTI selection process nor any malicious act was found to be done by any of the selected PTI teachers. So, PTI's should not get unjustly penalised for an irregularity on the part of the recruiting authority,” he said. Surjewala said the instructors have done selfless service in the state for more than ten years. The Congress leader asked, “why the 1,983 PTI teachers should get the punishment for the shortcomings of the agency that completed the selection process.” The single judge bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, on September 11, 2012, had set aside the selection of the 1,983 instructors made by the commission on April 10, 2010 in pursuance of the advertisement issued in 2006 on account of changes made in the selection process.

The decision was upheld by the division bench of the HC..