The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : HC quashes poll duty notices to teachers

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Saturday, May 10, 2008
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

HC quashes poll duty notices to teachers

Staff Reporter

BANGALORE: The Karnataka High Court on Friday stayed notices issued by the District Election Officer asking several employees, including teachers of the Bethany High School, Bangalore, to report for election duty.

The court also frowned on the employment of pregnant women and aged persons for election duty which would make them stay overnight at the spot.

Justice Ravi B. Malimath passed the order on a petition by Bethany Education Board, Koramangala.

The board said it had moved the court after the Office of the Special Commissioner (Administration) and District Election Officer, Bruhut Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), directed the school to depute more staff from its institutions for election duty.

The board said it was running the Bethany High School since 1963 and in 1978 it started the Bethany Special School for physically and mentally challenged children. It said it did not take any aid from the Government and it was a private institution.

It claimed that though it did not come under the purview of Section 159 of the Representation of the People’s Act, it had been cooperating all these years with the authorities whenever there was a request for deployment of staff members for election duty. It said all these years it was not compelled to depute staff for election duty.

However, this time, the District Election Officer and a Revenue Inspector of BBMP had deliberately issued notices asking the institution to depute its employees. It said in the first round, 76 employees, including teachers, were deputed for election work. Later five more were deputed. A teacher, who was in an advanced stage of pregnancy, was also not spared. Another teacher, who had delivered a child, was issued a notice. It said the District Election Officer had sought deployment of 100 staff members, including teachers, drivers, watchmen and other staff members. It urged the court to stay the notices issued to 19 employees.

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