Uttarakhand Education Minister Mantri Prasad Naithani has attracted strong criticism for what is being seen as the Minister’s attempt to protect the persons appointed to lT and lecturer grade posts based on fake documentation in Government-aided secondary schools in Pauri.
The Pauri District Magistrate had ordered the termination of the appointment of 86 teachers in 27 institutions, but the Minister has ordered a stay on the DM’s order. Posters have been put up in Pauri taunting the Education Minister for this step. It will be recalled that the based on inquiry report submitted by the additional district magistrate, Pauri District Magistrate Chandresh Kumar had instructed the chief education officer to cancel the appointment of the teachers with immediate effect and issue order for terminating their service last week.
He had also directed officials to take legal action against the principals and managers of the institutions that had provided false facts and forged certificates used to orchestrate irregularities in the appointment procedure.
FIRs were to be lodged against such principals and managers while the finance officer (Secondary Education) Pauri, was told to withhold the salaries of teachers in question and produce information about the amount paid in salary to these teachers up to December 2013, so that it could be submitted to the State government and Education Directorate for recovery. This amount was to be recovered from the officers found responsible for the irregularities.
However, Naithani has reportedly directed Director General, Education, to cancel the DM’s order though the minister’s order is yet to be received by the education department and Pauri administration. The local public is accusing the Minister of protecting the corrupt while at the same time claiming to be committed to improving the level of education in the State. Those affected by the anomalies in the appointments plan to file a public interest litigation in the Uttarakhand High Court.
Pauri District Magistrate Chandresh Kumar said that the inquiry report has been sent to the State Government while Chief Education Officer lM Chamola said that the department has not yet received the orders of the minister to cancel the DM’s order. The issue of terminating the appointments has been sent to Director of Education, Uttarakhand, as the director is only authorised to terminate service. Additional Director, Education, Garhwal region, NS Rana said that he has not been provided documents regarding the appointment of teachers so far by the Chief Education Officer. Rana was appointed inquiry officer by the Education Director for departmental inquiry.