Leh : In a landmark relief, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) has reinstated Tashi Namgail, a teacher from Ladakh, nearly three decades after his services were terminated.
The order, delivered by the CAT’s Jammu Bench at its Leh Circuit, ends a 28-year-long legal struggle.
Namgail, appointed as a teacher in 1987, had taken a month’s leave in 1996. Soon after, his services were abruptly terminated on grounds of unauthorized absence.
Challenging this, he approached the Jammu and Kashmir High Court in 2011, which directed that a proper inquiry be conducted.
A three-member committee led by the Joint Director of Education later found his termination to be illegal and unjustified. On the basis of this report, Namgail was re-engaged in 2018—but shockingly, he was never paid any salary thereafter.
Hearing the case, the Tribunal observed that Namgail was terminated without being given a chance to defend himself, violating the principles of natural justice.
Declaring the termination void, the Tribunal ruled that while Namgail will not receive salary for the years between 1996 and 2018—since no work was performed—the period will still count notionally towards his pension and future increments.
Importantly, the Tribunal directed that Namgail be paid his full salary from 2018 onwards, along with all pending arrears, within 12 weeks.
