The delay in holding organisational elections in Rajkeeya Shikshak Sangh (RSS) — the association of lecturers and lecturer teachers — is causing resentment among the rank and file of the teaching body. The two-year term of the present State unit of the association ended on August last year and the elections are due since then.
It is learnt that the organisation has not submitted the list of its members to the education department due to which the department has asked the State unit to hold the elections after the membership list is received. However those associated with RSS are of the view that the present State unit is deliberately delaying the elections.
KK Dimri, a lecturer at Pipalkoti, in Chamoli district told The Pioneer that the term of both the State and divisional units of the RSS are over and the elections are pending for long. He said the State Government should dissolve these units and set up an administrative body if the elections are delayed. “We are being told that the elections are being postponed as the list of members is not submitted to the department. The present working committee is responsible for this fault for which the entire teaching community is suffering” he said.
Dimri incidentally is one of the contenders for the post of the president. There are more than 35,000 members in the teachers’ body. When contacted the State president of the RSS, Karnel Singh refuted the charge that he is deliberately delaying the elections. He said the Education director has asked the RSS to submit the list of its members.
Singh said that district units and divisional units have been asked to submit the list of members till May 31. He informed that the association is planning to invite Chief Minister Harish Rawat for the convention. Singh assured that the elections in all probability would be held in the month of July.