Jayanta Kumar Biswas, J. - (1.) The petitioner is aggrieved by the decision of the District Inspector of Schools (SE), North 24 Parganas dated February 23rd, 2006 rejecting his request to grant him benefits of additional increments for possessing post graduate degree.
(2.) Counsel submits that although on being recommended by the school service commission the petitioner was appointed as a graduate category teacher in the school (a higher secondary school), upon introduction of the course of anthropology, the school authority permitted him to take the classes, since he had the requisite post graduate degree. Counsel points out that by letter dated July 24th, 2003 the higher secondary education council advised the school authority to take up the matter of higher pay scale with the district inspector of schools concerned. His contention is that when the school permitted the petitioner to take classes supposed to be taken by a postgraduate category teacher, there is no reason why the benefits of additional increments should not be given to him. He says that in the year 2003 the petitioner was entitled to claim the benefits on the basis of the ROPA Rules, 1998, since he possessed the post-graduate degree.
(3.) I am unable to agree with counsel that the district inspector of schools has wrongly decided that the petitioner would not be entitled to any benefit. In terms of provisions in section 14 of the West Bengal Schools (Control of Expenditure) Act, 2005, as a graduate category teacher, the petitioner was not entitled to claim any benefit of additional increment or higher scale of pay for possessing post graduate degree. Such degree was not one of the qualifications specified for the post to which the petitioner was appointed consequent upon recommendation by the school service commission. Admittedly he was appointed as a graduate category teacher.;