Calcutta, July 5: A high court division bench today stayed the order of a trial bench directing the School Service Commission to transfer women teachers to institutions within 10 km of their homes.

The division bench of Justices A. Kabir and A.K. Bishi passed the interim order following an appeal by the commission challenging the trial bench verdict.

Three months ago, Shelly Zaffri Latif, a resident of Park Circus, was selected by the commission as an assistant teacher and appointed to Raghunathpur Girls’ High School in North 24-Parganas.

Soon after joining service, Shelly moved a writ petition before the high court pleading that it would take six hours to travel to and from the school from Park Circus. “Everyday, I have to spend six hours on the road alone apart from my school duties. I have two children to look after at home and in my absence they are also feeling unwell,” she said in her petition.

Shelly also alleged that she had made several appeals to the government to transfer her nearer to home but none paid heed.

Justice Pratap Kumar Roy then passed a verdict directing the commission and the education department to appoint women teachers within 10 km of their homes. “The government will have to pay special attention towards its female employees. It shall have to provide more facilities to them for their economic uplift,” Justice Roy said.

The judgment had landed the education department in trouble as hundreds of women teachers from across the state moved similar petitions before the court. Some of them have already obtained favourable orders.

Appearing for the commission, Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya told the division bench: “It is impossible for my client to carry out the court order. What will the government do if there is no vacancy in a nearby school?”

The division bench also heard Shelly’s counsel, who argued that women should get privilege in case of appointment to schools, and stayed the earlier order.

Chairman of the commission Arun Kiran Chakraborty said it was not always possible to appoint a female candidate to a school close to home.