The Tripura High Court has set aside the cancellation of appointments for Anganwadi Workers and Helpers, directing their immediate reinstatement with full back honorarium. According to LiveLaw, the Division Bench held that authorities acted arbitrarily by permitting political pressure to influence termination decisions, violating Article 14 of the Constitution and principles of natural justice. The court ordered payment of all pending dues starting from February 26, 2024, the date the cancellations were originally issued.
The workers were appointed following an advertisement on December 21, 2022, with engagement orders issued on August 8, 2023. They joined posts after interviews and approval. However, on February 26, 2024, the Child Development Project Officer for the Dumburnagar ICDS Project cancelled their recruitment, citing "unavoidable reasons." Workers challenged this order, arguing it was arbitrary and issued without a hearing. A Single Judge previously dismissed their petitions as premature, leading them to approach the Division Bench.
The Division Bench, comprising Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandra Rao and Justice S. Datta Purkayastha, ruled that the cancellation order was impugned and affected rights, making the writ petitions valid. The court observed that state guidelines did not grant priority to existing substitute workers. Furthermore, objections raised through locality resolutions could not be treated as formal appeals, especially when no individual appeal or supporting documents were placed on record. The authorities also failed to produce the inquiry report relied upon to question workers' residency status, denying them a chance to respond.
LiveLaw reported that the bench explicitly found that the District Magistrate and Child Development Project Officer allowed political pressure from the Tipra Motha Party to influence decisions. The court concluded these actions were illegal and violative of constitutional guarantees. Consequently, the court set aside the cancellation, ordered immediate restoration, and mandated full back honorarium from February 26, 2024. Additionally, the court imposed a cost of ₹5,000 on each appellant. The decision was delivered on October 14, 2026, as reported by the publication.