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Ludhiana | Dy DEO finally asked to join as principal in Moga after change in state guard
Deputy district education officer (DEO, elementary-Ludhiana) Kuldeep Singh Saini was transferred on December 3 along with 21 other education department officials and principals by the Punjab secretary of school education Ajoy Sharma
After the change of government in the state, the deputy district education officer (DEO, elementary) Kuldeep Singh Saini has once again been ordered to join as the principal of a government school in Moga.
Saini was transferred on December 3 along with 21 other education department officials and principals by the Punjab secretary of school education Ajoy Sharma, but was not officially relieved of the charge due to the alleged political backing.
An official, on condition of anonymity, said Saini has finally been ordered to join the new posting in Moga.
“He was a close associate of Congress leaders here in Ludhiana and thus enjoyed full political backing. Despite the orders, he didn’t join there but now things have changed,” a senior official in the education department said.
Saini was to take charge as the principal of Government Senior Secondary School, Dhudike, Moga, but he faced protests from teachers’ unions there too, following which he proceeded on a long medical leave.
After returning from leave, Saini allegedly tried to gain backdoor entry as deputy DEO of Ludhiana, but the bid failed as the election code of conduct had come into force.
When asked about the delay in issuing relieving orders to Saini, district education officer, elementary, Jaswinder Kaur said the case was submitted to senior officials in the state education department to take a call on his joining in Moga.
December and January salaries stuck
Meanwhile, over 1,000 contractual staffers in the Ludhiana education department didn’t get their salaries in December and January as Saini continued to be the joint signatory in the bank accounts operational under Samagra Siksha. But as his transfer orders were in, he could not discharge duties as deputy DEO.
Since Saini continued to be the joint signatory, bank officials refused to release funds, grants and salaries without his signatures.
Shrouded in controversies
Saini moreover faced mass protests from different teachers’ associations in Ludhiana last year, who accused him of harassing teachers, especially female staff.
Hundreds of teachers from different blocks in district applied for mass leave to participate in the protest held against Deputy DEO Kuldeep Singh Saini outside the office of deputy commissioner in September.
Saini had also landed in a controversy after he had allegedly reprimanded a teacher Sapandeep Kaur, deputed in Government Primary School in Sahnewal, last year, following which she allegedly suffered a paralysis attack and was hospitalised.
The teacher associations had got up in arms demanding strict action against him.
