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Karnataka teacher suspended for ‘hiring’ a proxy
According to officials, Mahendra Kollura, who was working as a teacher in Bhali Nayaka Thanda in Chittapura taluk, would often take leaves from school
The Chitthapura taluk block education officer (BEO) in Kalaburagi district suspended a teacher of Bhali Nayaka Tanda on Wednesday on charges of dereliction of duty, officials said.
According to officials, Mahendra Kollura, who was working as a teacher in Bhali Nayaka Thanda in Chittapura taluk, was irregular to school and doing agriculture in his land. He allegedly hired another woman unauthorisedly in his place to teach students.
Officials said they received complaints from parents and school development monitoring committee (SDMC) members that the teacher hired a young woman Savithri from the same village to teach students.
‘’The teacher Kollura was coming to school one or two days a week and doing agriculture on his farm. He just wanted government salary and has no concern about the future of students,” Basappa Gowda, a parent, said. “We warned him many times, but he did not change his attitude. We then filed a complaint with the BEO,” he added.
According to officials, the Kalburgi district in the north Karnataka region is one of the most backward districts in the state. Bhalinayak Tanda government primary school has classes from first to fifth.
‘’Following the complaint, I visited the school and found that teacher Kollura is very irregular to school and he illegally hired Savithri to teach students,’’ Chitthapura BEO Siddaveeraiah told HT.
He said the teacher has been working for 21 years and in this school for five years.
“We served notice to him along with cluster resource persons. However, the reply by the teacher is not sufficient, and prima facie, he was found guilty of dereliction of duty and violation of KCSR (Karnataka civil service rules). I have suspended him and ordered for departmental enquiry,” he added.
SDMC president Rajappa said, “The school teacher was irregular, and despite several warnings, he did not go to school. Hence, we complained against him.”
Meanwhile, the teacher is question has denied the allegations. “I am going school regularly , I did not appoint anybody in my place,” Kollura said.
