SHIMLA: High Court of Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday May 11  issued notice to the Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Education),  Government of Himachal Pradesh  in a matter pertaining to more than 2000 posts of Junior Office Assistant and Librarian lying vacant in the Government Schools across the State.

The Division Bench comprising the Chief Justice, Mohammad Rafiq and Justice Sandeep Sharma passed these orders in a petition taken up suo moto by the Court as Public Interest Litigation on a letter addressed to the Chief Justice by one Pratap Singh Thakur of village Bagshad, Tehsil Karsog, District Mandi. 

Children are Lagging Behind in HP due to Lack of Facilities 

The petitioner has alleged that more than 2000 posts of Junior Office Assistant and Librarian are lying vacant in the Government Schools across State. Education Department is not filling up the posts deliberately so that the children of the Government schools join private schools to pursue their studies, he charged.

He has further alleged that due to lack of Library and Librarians in the Government Schools, children are lagging behind in competitive examinations. As such, children are leaving Government Schools and opting for private schools, he stated in the letter addressed to Chief Justice.

The petitioner has sought the intervention of the High Court to direct the State Government to fill up the vacant posts of Librarians in the Government Schools on a priority basis.

           The State Government has been directed to file reply within three weeks’ time.