New Delhi, June 3 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Thursday sought the response of the Election Commission of India, the Delhi government and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) on a plea by a group of government school teachers protesting their enrolment for election and census duty in the city.

A division bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Madan B.Lokur issued notices, returnable by Aug 18, to the Election Commission of India, the MCD commissioner, and the education secretary of the Delhi government to file their responses as to why the teachers are not been given their due offs and were forced to do the duty.

The court was hearing the petition of about 20,000 teachers – members of the Delhi Prathamik Shikshak Sangh – who alleged that they are always enrolled by the government for one or the other things and they are not getting any day off from the work.

The petitioners alleged that the government is not following the earlier directions of the court that had asked the government to enrol non-teaching staff for census and other election duties.

‘The earlier guidelines clearly state that the consent of the teacher is required before putting them on duty,’ the petition states.