news details |
|
|
| Rajouri: Female teacher alleges harassment by seniors | | 'I was implicated in fake case for denying bribe' | | Bijay Charak
Early Times Report
Jammu, May 20: A female teacher in Rajouri is being allegedly harassed by district officials of School Education Department, because she refused to bribe officials to get her salary for two years released.
Sajida Kouser, working in Government Middle School Darran, Zone Manjakote of district Rajouri, belongs to a poor family. After completing her Master's, she was engaged as a 3rd teacher in Primary School Darran on December 31, 2007 under Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) Scheme.
"After serving for five years as a ReT teacher in a particular school, the government regularized me as per Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) rules. But after regularisation my two year salary was pending because of shortage of funds", Sajida said.
She said that in 2016 government released pending arrears of all regularized teachers. She visited zone office Manjakote to seek her pending salary. "Astoundingly, the then ZEO and the clerical staff demanded bribe (20 percent of the total amount). I however refused to pay any amount to them. The officials transferred Rs 2 lakh into my bank account and didn't release rest of the amount," she said.
She said she approached the Chief Education Office many a time regarding release of pending salary, but to no avail. It prompted her to take the matter with the higher authority.
On February 15, 2018 she gave a representation to Assistant Commissioner Revenue Rajouri. The official (vide order no; DCR/GS/7122-23, dated 17-02-2018) asked ZEO Manjakote to release pending salary of the teacher. The ZEO Manjakote replied that he had joined the office on July 10, 2017.
In his reply the ZEO said: "My predecessor namely Shahhnawaz Khan had drawn the pending arrears of Sajida Kouser amounting to Rs 401664 on 06-04-2016 out of which he has transferred Rs 2 lakh into her bank. An amount of Rs 201664 was not transferred in the account of Sajida Kouser. Some of the teachers are also approaching to undersigned regarding their pending arrears, but undersigned is not in a position to solve the problems of the teachers because the general cash book is incomplete from 2013 to 31-05-2017 as Shahnawaz Khan remained seven years as I/C ZEO and retired on 31-05-2017. As the cashbook is not completed/attested by the then ZEO due to which undersigned is totally handicapped to run the office work smoothly and undersigned has introduced a fresh GEN Cashbook Viz. July 2017.
"Moreover undersigned time and again complained Chief Education Officer regarding the matter under question and CEO Rajouri also directed to the concerned officer/officials to hand over the complete record but all in vain."
Sajid said that after taking up the issue with higher authority, the district officers of department concerned started harassing her. On March 9, 2018 she was directed by ZEO and head of the school concerned to perform supervisory duty in Class 12th annual examination. During examination the CEO visited the examination centre and asked her about her qualification. "On the next day, I received my suspension order which was issued by the CEO Rajouri for the mistake which I never committed. On one hand, I was directed by two officers to perform a specific duty and on the other hand I was suspended for obeying the same order," she said.
The mistake for which she was penalized, ensued due to the negligence of the issuing authority that directed her to perform the duty. It was the job of ZEO Manjakote to confirm the qualification background of the teacher before assigning the supervisory duties.
Sajida has sought the intervention of Education Minister for justice. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
