The Hindu : New Delhi News : Exempt women from election duty: Court

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Thursday, Aug 14, 2008
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New Delhi

Exempt women from election duty: Court

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi and the Delhi State Election Commission to consider for exemption from election duty women and differently-abled teaching staff if they approached them with valid reasons for relief.

A Division Bench of the Court comprising Justices A.P. Shah and S. Muralidhar gave this direction on a petition by the Akhil Dilli Prathmik Shikshak Sangh seeking directions for putting women teaching staff on election duty with certain concessions.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government obtained one more week for filing its reply to the Court’s suggestion on deploying non-teaching staff on election duty as well.

The petitioner urged the Court to exempt women teaching staff from election duty on week days as it was impossible for them to perform it along their household and teaching obligations.

It also submitted that physically-challenged and pregnant women staff and teachers above 58 years of age should not be assigned election duty. Women staff should also be not given the field duty.

The petitioner also questioned the rationale of putting only teaching staff on election duty. Besides, the deployment of teachers on election duty also affected teaching, the petitioner submitted.

Earlier direction

The Court had earlier directed the civic body and the Election Commission to include the election duty in the mandatory duty hours and that it must not go beyond it.

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