E-Paper
Ludhiana teachers’ association writes to CM Mann
Association urges CM to intervene in deputy director's increments recovery case as presence in DPI office may affect fairness. Inquiry status remains unknown.
In wake of increments recovery case of the deputy director higher education Aswani Bhalla, the Association of United College Teachers (AUCT) has written to the state chief minister, Bhagwant Mann.
According to the information, the department of higher education (DPI Colleges), in September last year, instructed the principal of SCD Government College to inquire the increments received by the five retired and serving professors of the college, as per the rules and regulations and to submit the recovery of the same to the department.
Out of the five, three are retired professors and two of them, Ashwani Bhalla and Gursharanjit Singh are still serving.
The union has questioned the presence of Bhalla in the office of DPI, which might affect the fair progress of the case. The union members questioned, “He is an official of the same office which initiated an inquiry against him. Would it not affect the development in the case where he is in question?”
A member of the union, Tarun Ghai, said that Bhalla should have been transferred till the inquiry is completed in order to ensure fairness and transparency. “It has been 8 months since the letter was issued by the DPI and there still is no update on the concerned case,” he added.
When questioned on the recovery of the increments, principal Tanveer Likhari was unsure about the status of the inquiry. She stated, “I am unaware as of now and will have to find out.”
AUCT general secretary Jaspal Singh said that these questions are a heavy blow to the faith of the general public in the system. Hence, their association has requested the CM to look personally into the matter without further delay, Singh added.
