Court issues notices for raising retirement age of teachers’ board

“The age of retirement for the Board chairman and members was raised to 72 years by the Haryana government in November,2011. No other Board of this type had a retirement age of over 70. Board chairman Nand Lal Poonia was 68,which is the maximum age for one holding office under the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC). Poonia was appointed as the chairman in February,2011 after retiring from HSSC,” Sharma alleged.

Advocate Hari Om Attri,counsel for the petitioner,contended that the retirement age under the selection criteria was deliberately raised to accommodate Poonia and another member,T P Bose. Poonia was a relative of Hooda.

“Bose retired as HSSC member on July 5,2010. Bose was one of Deepinder Hooda’s — son of the chief minister — teachers,because of which he was appointed as a member of the selection board,” the petition reads.

Sharma also challenged the appointment of another board member,Jagnish Parshad,by saying that he is the elder brother of Chief Parliamentary Secretary Rao Daan Singh,who is close to Hooda.