E-Paper
Salaries of contractual staff in Ludhiana education department stuck in red-tape
Shunted deputy district education officer (DEO, elementary) of Ludhiana Kuldeep Singh Saini continues to be the joint signatory in the bank accounts operational under Samagra Siksha but as his transfer orders are in, he cannot discharge duties as deputy DEO, which including clearing the salaries.
Over 1,000 contractual staffers in the Ludhiana education department have not been paid salaries for the last two months as transferred deputy district education officer (DEO, elementary) Kuldeep Singh Saini continues to be the joint signatory in the bank accounts operational under Samagra Siksha.
Saini had been transferred from the post following charges of harassment on December 3, 2021, but was not officially relieved of the charge, due to which he continues to remain the joint signatory. But as his transfer orders are in, he cannot discharge duties as deputy DEO.
As per sources, Saini is not being relieved of his charge due to political pressure. Saini was to take charge as the principal of Government Senior Secondary School, Dhudike, Moga, but he faced protests from teachers 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.
Since Saini is still the joint signatory in bank accounts, bank officials refused to release funds, grants and salaries without his signatures.
Staff on the receiving end
Meanwhile, the staff members, who have not received salaries for the months of December and January, are bearing the brunt.
Balbir Singh, a teacher at a primary school, said, “I earn a paltry ₹9,500 a month, but that too has not been released due to red-tape. It has become very difficult for me to manage the finances at home. I had to attend the Nipun Bharat seminar in Jamalpur on Monday but as I had little cash in hand, I had the borrow money for the fare to get there.”
Sukhdir Sekhon, another primary school teacher and president of a teachers’ union in Ludhiana, said DEO Jaswinder Kaur should take immediate action in this regard as the families of thousands of staffers are suffering due to delay in release of salaries.
Sekhon added, “Saini should have been relieved by now. Despite his transfer orders and protests by teachers in Ludhiana, he still enjoys the powers of deputy DEO here due to political patronage. We won’t allow him to return at any cost.”
Teachers likely to receive salaries by Wednesday
Though senior officials, including DPI Sukhjit Pal Singh, are staying mum over the issue, an official in the education department stated that a solution has been arrived at.
“The issue was taken up with bank officials and the teachers are likely to get their salaries by Wednesday,” said the official.
