HC dismisses PIL over teachers roped in for COVID-19 work

Chennai, Jul 13 (): The Madras High Court on Monday dismissed a public interest litigation, seeking a direction to the Tamil Nadu government not to engage teachers in COVID-19 work.

The court, while dismissing the PIL, found fault with the government teachersassociation, saying the position of a teacher is much higher in society and if the contention of the petitioner-association is accepted, it will squarely apply to other departments such as Revenue and Police.

A division bench, comprising Justices M M Sundresh and R Hemalatha wondered whether the teachers would accept a pay cut since schools are not functioning and further observed that teachers should be a role model for the younger generation. The petitioner submitted that the government has so far engaged over 200 teachers to provide counselling for COVID-19 affected patients.

Teachers are only trained to teach students and they do not have any prior training or knowledge of providing counselling, the association said.

One of the teachers, who has been deputed as COVID-19 counsellor, has tested positive for the infection, it added. The work involves collecting information of contacts of virus-affected persons, providing information to callers relating to COVID-19 and to carry out any other activities to be instructed by the zonal team. Primarily, the teachers would be deputed as tele- counsellors in the COVID-19 call centres operated by the corporation in every zone, the petitioner said. As per the communications issued by the authorities, 1,200 teachers have been instructed to work in the zonal-level COVID-19 care control room on shift basis.

The teachers would be given transport facility, and other basic needs like food and water, the association said.

The proposal for such deputation was sent by the education office of the Corporation to the commissioner on June 11, which has been approved by the latter.

This apart, the education officer has also issued orders on June 20 to depute teachers of municipal corporation schools to work as 'street warriors.

Dismissing the petition, the bench said After all, the named persons are public servants. The public servant is expected to perform in order to evaluate the ongoing problems.

The teachers are going to supervise the work of the volunteers who are working at the ground-level and they are not going to do the work of volunteers."

Day in and day out the Police department and the Revenue departments, including the women police, are working in this pandemic situation, the bench said. COR NVG RAVINDRANATH NVG RAVINDRANATH