Agartala, 12th November 2026 : The Tripura High Court has directed the reinstatement of four Anganwadi workers who were dismissed from their jobs at the Dumburnagar ICDS Project in Dhalai district, terming their termination illegal and an instance of administrative arbitrariness.
The court also directed the authorities to clear their entire outstanding salaries and allowances from February 26, 2024, within eight weeks.
Addressing the media, Advocate Purosottom Roy Barman said the four workers had been appointed through a lawful and fair recruitment process initiated in February 2023. Following their selection, they joined their respective positions in August 2023. However, in February 2024, their appointments were abruptly cancelled by the authorities.
Challenging the termination, the affected workers initially approached the High Court through a writ petition. However, their plea was not accepted at the single-judge level. Subsequently, they filed an appeal before the Division Bench comprising Chief Justice M.S. Ramachandran and Justice S. Datta.
According to Roy Barman, the Division Bench, in its judgment delivered on Wednesday, held that the dismissal of the four legally appointed Anganwadi workers was unlawful and reflected administrative arbitrariness. He further claimed that the court observed that the Dhalai District Magistrate appeared to have surrendered to pressure from the Tipra Motha Party.
Explaining the circumstances behind the termination, the advocate alleged that local Tipra Motha representatives had submitted a deputation to the Dumburnagar ICDS Project authorities, objecting to the appointments and demanding that the selected candidates should not be allowed to continue. He alleged that the administration subsequently cancelled the appointments without conducting any proper inquiry, despite the workers having been recruited through a valid selection process.
As per the court’s directions, the four workers must be reinstated immediately and paid all outstanding salaries and allowances from February 26, 2024, within eight weeks. The court has also directed payment of Rs 5,000 each towards litigation costs.
Roy Barman described the judgment as a significant victory for the affected workers and a strong message against political interference in administrative functioning. Criticising the role of the officials concerned, he alleged that the administration had failed to uphold its responsibilities and acted under political pressure rather than protecting the rights of legitimately appointed employees.
He further emphasised that Anganwadi workers and helpers cannot be arbitrarily removed from service at the behest of any political organisation, asserting that they have legal rights and are entitled to continue working until they reach the prescribed retirement age, subject to applicable service rules.
The advocate said the verdict should serve as a reminder to public servants that administrative decisions must be guided by law and established procedures rather than political pressure.
