By IANS,
New Delhi : The Delhi High Court Wednesday directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the Election Commission of India not to insist on assigning election duties to women teachers and the disabled.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Ajit Prakash Shah and Justice S. Muralidhar passed the direction on a plea by a group of women and handicapped teachers, seeking exemption from the election duty.
The MCD Primary School Teachers Association moved a public interest petition highlighting the hardships faced by teachers as they are allegedly forced to do election duties after school hours.
The petitioner association submitted that the Delhi government, on a request from the Election Commission, directs the MCD to depute all its primary teachers for election duties.
Women and handicapped teachers, who have to visit various constituencies as part of these duties, do not get time for their family as they are expected to work on holidays. They also do not get time for physical rest, the petitioner added.
The court asked the Election Commission to consider cases of some teachers who have genuine problems and cannot undertake the work. It suggested that women and handicapped teachers should be given election-related work in their school itself.