E-Paper
Every second post of block primary education officer lying vacant in Punjab
Even as direct recruitment of block primary education officers stuck in legal tangles, Punjab education department approves promotions to fill just under 15% posts
Nearly 50% posts of block primary education officer (BPEO) are lying vacant across Punjab, putting extra burden on the incumbents and affecting the quality of elementary education.
A BPEO performs key administrative functions, including supervision and inspection of elementary schools at the block level. Among various duties, the officer is tasked with distribution of books, disbursement of grants, release of salary bills, maintenance of service records and implementation of the mid-day meal scheme.
There are 228 posts of BPEO across the state, of which 110 are lying vacant, according to a list of eligible promotees released by the state education department recently. The department has found 31 central head teachers (CHTs) eligible to be promoted as BPEOs and has directed district education officers (DEOs) concerned to select vacant stations for them.
However, even if these promotions go through smoothly, unlike the process for direct recruitments that is stuck in legal tangles, nearly 35% BPEO posts will still remain unfilled across the state. The situation is the worst in Nawanshahr district, where all seven posts of BPEO are vacant. In Ropar, which is the home district of school education minister Harjot Bains, only one of the 10 sanctioned posts is occupied as of now.
Among other districts, Hoshiarpur has 19 of 21 posts vacant and Ludhiana has 17 of 19 vacant. According to sources, the charge of 19 vacant posts of Hoshiarpur district has been given to BPEOs of Jalandhar district, while the two BPEOs of Ludhiana district are handling the charge of all 19 posts in the district. Meanwhile, there are only four districts — Moga, Faridkot, Ferozepur and Fazilka — where all BPEO posts are occupied.
Vikram Dev Singh, state president of Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), said, “The education system is suffering at primary schools due to shortage of BPEOs, as they play a key role in the administrative functioning. Earlier, 75% posts of the BPEO used to be filed through promotions. However, the Congress government had reduced this quota to 50%. The department should fill these posts as per the old quota and district cadre.”
Director public instructions (elementary) Harinder Kaur, said, “The promoted CHTs will join the allotted stations this week and the remaining posts are to be filled through direct recruitment. The written exam for direct recruitments was held earlier, but the process was challenged in court.”
