The Calcutta High Court expressed strong displeasure over the state government’s decision to deploy school teachers for census-related work, questioning the feasibility of requiring them to travel long distances such as 40 kilometers a day. During the hearing before the bench of Justice Krishna Rao, the court questioned how teachers could manage regular school duties alongside census work. The judge asked the state why the teachers' biodata, place of residence, and travel distances were not verified prior to issuing the deployment orders.
Highlighting the practical difficulties, Justice Rao observed that census work is not conducted adjacent to schools, making it unreasonable to expect teachers to leave at 4 PM, travel long distances, and manage their personal schedules. In response to the state’s submission that the census is an important nationwide exercise functioning smoothly elsewhere, the court pointed out that school hours run from 10 AM to 4 PM, leaving virtually no time for census duties. When the court questioned the schedule, the state counsel remarked whether the court would take note that teachers often do not stay until 4 PM.
Justice Rao suggested that the state could have deployed a limited number of teachers per school or arranged duties on alternate days to ensure regular academic work remains unhindered. The court instructed the plaintiffs to submit their complete details—including residential addresses, school locations, and timings—to the Solicitor General. The state government has been directed to inform the High Court of its final decision regarding the plaintiffs on Tuesday.