The East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) has started terminating the services of teachers in schools under it for being absent for more than five years without "satisfactory reasons".

The EDMC, in a statement on January 19, said, "In a bid to streamline and improve the performance of its schools, the East Delhi Municipal Corporation has started taking action against such teachers in EDMC schools who have been absent for more than five years, without any satisfactory reasons for the same." 

Some of the teachers have remained absent after taking leave initially, the statement said. All the teachers who are on a "long leave" have already been given notices to resume work or give valid reasons for continued leave or absence. "Consequently, in some of the cases where no satisfactory replies had been received, under the provisions of amended Leave Rules and DMC Regulations 1959, the services of the teachers have been terminated after following due procedure," the EDMC said.

In the remaining such cases, due process is in progress for the termination of teachers who are no more interested in rejoining or have deliberately chosen to remain absent, officials said.

However, the corporation did not reveal the total number of teachers whose services have been terminated. This process will also help EDMC identify the gap between the sanctioned strength of teachers and the actual strength.

The EDMC will recruit new teachers based on the final assessment of the gap, which, in turn, will ensure that the corporation provides quality education to students in primary schools and maintain the requisite pupil-teacher ratio, the statement said.