Case Summary & Timeline: Sreeparna Saha

1. Case Overview

This case concerns Sreeparna Saha, an Assistant Teacher, regarding the validity of a lien period taken to join a new government post, her subsequent return to the original post, and the resulting suspension of her 10-year service increment benefit. The core issues revolve around procedural adherence, the authority granting the lien, and a break in service period.

Parties & Institutions Involved:

2. Chronological Timeline of Events

Date Event Source / Reference Document
25.07.2011 Joined Demdapara Jr. High School as an approved Assistant Teacher (Geography, Pass). Release Letter (Ref: Memo No-2044/1(4) dt. 09.09.2011)
2015 Appeared for PSC examination for Assistant Mistress post without taking prior permission from the employer. Applicant's Narrative
13.11.2019 Appointment letter issued by the Directorate of School Education for the post of Assistant Mistress at New Integrated Govt. School, Paschim Medinipur. Memo. No. 2104-SC/S
03.02.2020 Directorate of School Education grants an extension of the joining date. Memo. No. 80-SC/S
17.02.2020
  • Applied for NOC and Lien (1 year) from Demdapara Jr. H/S.
  • School's Ad-hoc Committee Secretary (SI of Schools) grants NOC and Release on Lien.
  • Last official day at Demdapara Jr. H/S before lien.
 Application Letters, NOC, Release Letter dt. 17.02.2020
18.02.2020 - 19.02.2020 Two-day gap between release from the old school and joining the new one. The lien period officially started on 18.02.2020. Applicant's Narrative
20.02.2020 Joined the new post at New Integrated Govt. School, Garbeta-II. Joining Report dt. 20.02.2020
15.02.2021 Applied for and was granted a one-year extension of the lien period by Demdapara Jr. H/S. Application for Extension & School Certificate dt. 15.02.2021
25.07.2021 Completed 10 years of continuous service. The 10-year benefit increment became due. Based on Joining Date
05.08.2021 Submitted prior intimation of resignation to the Directorate of School Education, citing family reasons. Resignation Intimation Letter
30.11.2021 Submitted final resignation from New Integrated Govt. School, Paschim Medinipur. Resignation Letter dt. 30.11.2021
01.12.2021 Rejoined Demdapara Jr. High School. Joining Report dt. 01.12.2021
03.12.2021 The Teacher-in-Charge of Demdapara Jr. H/S forwarded all lien-related documents to the DI of Schools (SE), Jalpaiguri. Forwarding Letter to DI(SE) dt. 03.12.2021
Post Dec-2021 Salary resumed at the original school, but the 10-year benefit increment remains blocked. Validity of the lien was verbally questioned by a colleague. Applicant's Narrative

3. Key Issues and Concerns Raised

Primary Concerns

  1. Validity of the Lien: The lien was granted by the Secretary of the school's Ad-hoc Committee, who is the SI of Schools. The legitimacy of this approval without a formal DI order is a primary concern. A colleague has verbally pointed this out as "illegal."
  2. Blocked 10-Year Increment: The main tangible problem is the suspension of the 10-year benefit. This is likely because the lien period (20.02.2020 - 30.11.2021) has not been officially regularized or counted towards service continuity by the DI office, creating ambiguity.
  3. Break in Service: There was a 2-day gap (18th & 19th Feb 2020) between the last day at the old school (17.02.2020) and joining the new one (20.02.2020). Although the lien was effective from 18.02.2020, this gap between release and joining can be a procedural red flag for authorities.
  4. Lack of Prior Permission: The applicant took the PSC exam in 2015 without obtaining prior permission from her then-employer, which is a procedural lapse.
  5. Ambiguity in Service Book: The applicant was given vague instructions on how to record the lien period in her Service Book, which may cause issues during future audits or at retirement.

4. Summary of Submitted Documents