No direction to teachers to enforce liquor ban: Minister

Bihar’s education minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary on Friday informed the Legislative Council that the government had not issued any instructions to teachers to enforce the liquor ban, which was imposed in the state in April 2016.

Bihar’s education minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary on Friday informed the Legislative Council that the government had not issued any instructions to teachers to enforce the liquor ban, which was imposed in the state in April 2016.

Liquor ban was imposed in Bihar by the Nitish Kumar government in April 2016. (HT Archives)

The minister was responding to a question from Congress member Prem Chandra Mishra, who alleged that additional burden on teachers to catch liquor suppliers and consumers could hamper their core role of imparting teaching to the students.

The minister dismissed the contention, saying the question was irrelevant as no such instruction was issued.

JD(U) member Sanjeev Singh, however, supported Mishra’s argument, saying an official letter was issued on January 28, directing the regional deputy director, education, district education officers and the district programme officers to engage teachers of primary and middle schools in curbing consumption of liquor. “I challenge the minister’s reply. The department must issue a denial to that letter,” said Singh.

Working chairman of the Council, Awadhesh Narayan Singh, said members of both the houses had taken pledge to help government enforce the prohibition. “The teachers, like common citizens, may pass the information to the government if they find anything illegal,” said Singh.

Mishra, however, said it would become a life risk for teachers if they involved themselves in such activities, as police officers were being attacked by the liquor traders.

No plan to hire computer teachers in schools

Education minister Vijay Chaudhary informed the Council that the government had no plans to recruit computer teachers in over 1,800 secondary schools or renew the contract of old teachers.

He was responding to Congress member Premchandra Mishra, who claimed that computer education had been suspended in the secondary schools for the last five years after the contract of over 1,830 computer teachers, who were appointed by the Beltron, expired in 2017. He said that the government might consider renewing the contract with old teachers to ensure teaching of computer in schools until the fresh appointments.