Anit Thapa Welcomes Stay Order by High Court on the Dismissal of 313 Teachers in the Hills

KalimNews, December 24, 2025: Anit Thapa, Chief of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA), expressed his gratitude for the court’s recent stay order, stating that it provides a significant relief to the 313 teachers whose appointments were previously in question. On Wednesday, he shared that the Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, had personally called him to congratulate the teachers on the development.

In the wake of the High Court’s original ruling, the GTA and other respondents filed appeals before the Circuit Bench in Jalpaiguri. The Court, comprising Judges Biswaroop Chowdhury and Tapabrata Chakraborty, decided to stay the earlier judgment for 12 weeks, offering much-needed relief to the 313 teachers, who had already served for years in their respective roles.

The case surrounding the appointment of 313 voluntary teachers has been a highly contentious issue, with significant political and legal implications. The court’s stay order followed an appeal made by the GTA in response to a verdict delivered by the Calcutta High Court on December 17, 2025, which had set aside the regularization of these teachers' appointments by the Government of West Bengal. The decision had quashed the letter issued on March 8, 2019, that had formalized the appointments.

Thapa acknowledged the ongoing concerns of the teachers affected by the issue, thanking those who took the matter to court. He assured them that their long-standing issues would now be addressed. "I had concerns that the stay order might be delayed, especially regarding worries about salary payments and leave matters. But today, with this positive turn of events, I am confident that the pending issues will soon be resolved," Thapa remarked.

Thapa also urged the affected teachers not to tolerate any unfair treatment, particularly on social media. He condemned the online abuse many teachers had been subjected to, urging them to stand firm and not allow the negativity to overwhelm them. "Do not fear the attacks. The more you fear, the more the attacks increase. Keep your head high, be firm, and rise above the provocation," he said.

In his statement, Thapa reassured the teachers of the stability that comes with government jobs, emphasizing that once employment is secured, it is unlikely to be taken away easily.

Addressing the political aspect of the issue, Thapa reiterated the importance of leadership being based on electoral mandate. "I came here by winning elections and with the people's mandate. Those who could not even retain control over the Darjeeling municipality are now making baseless allegations," Thapa remarked. He further added that maintaining administrative authority in Darjeeling was his political responsibility.

Thapa referred to the court’s decision as a victory that reflects the strength and determination of the current MLA. He dismissed claims made by his opponents, referring to them as “backdoor narratives” propagated by individuals with a “thief-like mentality.” Thapa also pointed out that those who engage in such baseless claims are only harming the cause of progress for Darjeeling.

Anit Thapa, reflecting on the court’s decision, expressed his satisfaction with the temporary relief granted to the teachers. "This stay order is a Christmas gift from me to all the affected teachers," Thapa stated. "I have kept my word of helping those who were aggrieved. The truth will always prevail, and justice will be done."

He also expressed gratitude to those who took the matter to court, stating that their actions would help in completing the pending issues that were previously left unresolved. "I would like to thank those who fought the case, even though we were on opposite sides. Your efforts will help resolve the incomplete matters and bring closure to the situation," Thapa added.

Despite initial fears regarding potential delays in the stay order, Thapa reassured the teachers are now relieved of their concerns about salaries and leave. He also called on the teachers to rise above the unfair treatment they had faced online, where they had been subjected to intense criticism and humiliation.

In his final remarks, Thapa emphasized the importance of securing one’s position in a government job and urged aspiring leaders to win the people's mandate through elections. "If you want to be a leader, you must win elections. I have come here with the mandate of the people," Thapa asserted. He also stated that he would continue to uphold the political responsibility of maintaining authority in Darjeeling, referring to his leadership as part of his "political duty." It is an indication of victory on MLA election. 

Thapa concluded by stressing that the success of the current legal battle marks the beginning of a new chapter for the region, symbolising the strength of his leadership and the unity of those who stand with him.

The order stated: 

12. Indisputably prior to the appointment of the 313 voluntary teachers about 100 teachers similarly situated with them were granted appointment on the basis of the orders of Court and about 439 teachers were approved on the basis of a Cabinet decision. The validity of such appointment has also been questioned in the writ petitions. As the memo dated 8th March, 2019 containing a decision to regularize the appointment of 313 Voluntary teachers has been set aside, prima facie, the issue of maintainability of the writ petition and the issue of validity of the appointment of the other teachers may not survive for any decision in the writ petitions kept pending. The judgment delivered would have a dissimilar impact upon the prior appointment and create an anomalous situation in future. The collation of facts put together prima facie, reveals that 313 voluntary teachers had already rendered a long period of service and the alleged irregularities in such appointment are bereft of malicious intent or corrupt practices. The learned single Judge appears to have been focused too rigidly on their initial terms of appointment ignoring the substantive reality of the prevailing political unrest and suspension of operation of 1997 Act.

13. For the reasons discussed above, the operation of the impugned judgment is stayed for a period of twelve weeks.