Chandigarh, Sept. 23 -- The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Chandigarh bench, has sought a response from the Centre and the UT administration on a plea challenging the proposed appointment of teachers and school principals from Punjab and Haryana on deputation. The bench headed by member (judicial) Suresh Kumar Batra has also issued notice on the applicants plea seeking an interim stay on the deputation process. The matter will come up for hearing on October 13. The plea has been filed by the joint action committee of teachers, UT Chandigarh, through its president Ranbir Singh Rana, general secretary Shiv Murat and other teachers. The applicants have challenged letters issued by the Chandigarh administration on July 30 seeking panels of willing principals, headmasters/headmistresses, lecturers (PGTs) and masters/mistresses (TGTs) from Punjab and Haryana for posting in Chandigarh schools. The teachers have argued that eligible employees of the Chandigarh education department should first be considered for promotion before posts are filled through deputation. They have contended that continued appointment of employees from Punjab and Haryana on deputation affects the promotional opportunities of existing UT employees. The applicants have also relied on a March 27, 2026 judgment of the Punjab and Haryana high court in Deepak Kumar Nishad vs Arun Kumar and others, besides earlier judicial orders and Chandigarh administration policies concerning deputation. According to the applicants, these provisions give eligible employees in the feeder cadre a preferential opportunity before resorting to deputation. The plea also challenges the deputation quota prescribed under the relevant notifications and seeks consideration of eligible UT employees for promotion. It further seeks the repatriation of deputationists who, according to the applicants, have continued in Chandigarh for several years beyond the permissible period. The teachers have also raised questions over the recruitment rules applicable to the Chandigarh education department. They have contended that although the central civil services rules became applicable to Chandigarh from April 1, 2022, departmental recruitment rules have not been framed and the personnel department was not consulted before the administration sought teachers from Punjab and Haryana on deputation. CAT has so far only issued notices and has not passed any order holding the proposed deputation to be illegal or staying the process....