New Delhi:
The Supreme Court on Tuesday flayed the Delhi government for its "insensitivity" in failing to
fill up over 200 posts of principals in government schools and suggested suspension of the officers responsible for it.
A bench of Justices Dalveer Bhandari and K S Radhakrishnan directed the Delhi Chief Secretary to conduct an inquiry into the reasons for non filling up of the vacancies since 2007 and initiate disciplinary action against those responsible for the lapses.
The apex court granted four weeks to the Chief Secretary to submit his inquiry and action taken report.
"Your minister for education must understand the urgency. Who are the officers responsible? The least you can do is pull them up and put them under suspension and submit us an inquiry report", the bench said.
"Who all are responsible and what is their designation? What have you done between 14-8-2007 to 18-12-09," the bench repeatedly grilled the Delhi government counsel who was at a loss to explain.
The apex court was irked as for more than two years the Delhi Government failed to coordinate with the UPSC in filling up the appointments.
The apex court said the government should take appropriate action against the officials responsible for the apathy "however, high ranking they may be."
"The report should indicate the role of the persons responsible and what action is proposed to be taken in this matter for dereliction of duty," the apex court observed.
The bench passed the direction on a PIL filed by an NGO alleging that that there were 5,300 vacant teacher, vice principal and principal posts in Delhi government-run schools.