Return staff or we’ll move court: Colleges to state Election Commission

If your college has not been giving the exam results on time or the paperwork at your college has been delayed, blame the state election commission.

For the last four years, 25 colleges in Mumbai, Thane and their suburbs have sent six to 12 non-teaching staff members each for election duty, but the Election Commission (EC) has not yet sent them back.

"Three years ago, 24 of our staff members were deputed to the EC. After much persuasion, 12 of them are back with the colleges. The rest are still making electoral rolls and voter identity cards," said BB Sharma, principal of VG Vaze College, Mulund.

Upset about working without librarians, lab technicians, clerks and peons for years, the colleges have sent several memorandums to the EC, to no avail.

The 25 colleges have now got together to fight against the 'illegal detention' of their employees by the city collector and municipal corporation on behalf of the state EC.

They have hired an advocate to draft a letter which will soon be sent to the chief election commission in Delhi. If this too fails, the colleges plan to move the Bombay high court.

"DAV and Ratnam colleges in Bhandup, Jhunjhunwala College in Ghatkopar, Acharya Marathe College in Chembur are facing the most problems. An intervention by the chief election commission is the only option now," said Ashok Salve, vice principal of PN Doshi College in Ghatkopar, whose six employees have been deputed for election duty for two years.

Salve pointed out that according to the rules, the staff of only local bodies can be deputed for election duty. "We don't have any issue sending our staff for national duty, but for four years, no way. We need them during exams, to distribute mark sheets, manage the fee counter and the laboratories. Is education less important than election?" he asked.

According to sources, a few clerks are enjoying the status of zonal officer at the EC, but there are others, especially librarians, who want to go back to colleges to enjoy their cushy jobs.

In 2009, three schools had challenged the EC's move to send their staff members for election duty in the high court.

Advocate Dilip Bagwe, who had represented the schools, said: "The high court had said that the staff of only local bodies can be asked for election duty and private aided schools are not local bodies as defined in section 29 of the Electoral Act, 1960."