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Teachers made scapegoat of transfer issue

By Correspondent

BARPETA, July 1 � More than 300 primary school teachers recruited through Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) have been harassed mentally and physically over their transfer from one school to another. They have not been paid their monthly remuneration from January this year which has made their lives miserable.

According to information available, these teachers were appointed in various schools of Barpeta district in June - July 2012 through the much hyped TET. As they were posted in remote areas with lack of adequate convenient communication they applied for transfer to other schools with vacant positions. Considering the merit of individual applications, the then additional deputy commissioner (ADC) affected the transfer through SMS from his cell phone. The content of the SMS read �Subject to return of the SMC copy of the agreement you are allowed to join at ( No, name of the school and education block) .

Considering the SMS as an official order, the teachers approached for release from the school in which he or she was posted which was granted and joined the new school as indicated in the SMS. The new school also granted their joining on the basis of the SMS only and executed a new agreement. They were paid their remuneration regularly from the new schools.

But the poor teachers were shocked to receive another SMS from DPO SSA office Barpeta from his mobile in February this year asking to appear before an inquiry officer for their alleged illegal transfer. The enquiry officer asked them some questions like if they had any copy of order regarding the transfer , whether it was communicated through mobile, the content of the SMS, if any monetary transaction was done and with whom the communication for transfer was established.

The poor teachers thought that the legal hurdle regarding their transfer was over. But they were shocked to find a letter during the last week of June from the Mission Director Asom Sarba Siksha Abhijan Mission LS Changsan. The Mission Director through his letter no SSA/Esstt (TT)/ Enquiry/ Barpeta/129/2014/10189 dated 19.06 2014 charged the teachers of illegal transfer and joining violating SSA norms. He also asked them to show cause as to why disciplinary action should not be initiated against them.

The letter from the Mission Director has created an uproar among the teachers and has brought uncertainty to their service. When contacted, some of the suffering teachers informed this correspondent that they have not done any illegal or unethical activities by following the order through SMS by a responsible officer of the district. They also urged that based on the text of the SMS the previous schools released them and the new schools allowed them to join. The agreements with the new schools were accepted by all concerned and they were paid remuneration for more than fifteen months. Application for transfer by an employee on personal grounds cannot be treated as illegal. But the process of its execution lies with the higher authorities. They urged and added that though a number of authorities such as SMC, BEEO, DI, SSA District Mission etc., are entangled, only the teachers who are laymen as far as the legal side is concerned and sought respite from working in inconvenient places have been targeted. They also informed that they will leave no stone unturned to keep their service intact and pursue the officials compelling them to spend sleepless nights.

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