Act against teachers overstaying on deputation, MHRD tells DPI

The ministry of human resource development (MHRD) directed the director public instruction (DPI) schools Chandigarh to take action where teachers, lecturers, head mistresses/masters and principals, who on deputation from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh in Chandigarh, have overstayed their period in the UT.

The ministry of human resource development (MHRD) directed the director public instruction (DPI) schools Chandigarh to take action where teachers, lecturers, head mistresses/masters and principals, who on deputation from Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh in Chandigarh, have overstayed their period in the UT.

Over 500 teachers from Punjab, Haryana and HP have overstayed their deputation period in Chandigarh. Out of this, a shocking figure of 60:40 from Punjab and Haryana are on deputation in the UT, making it almost impossible for teachers and principals in the city to get promoted.

The development comes at the backdrop of a representation submitted by the UT cadre educational employees union’s general secretary to home minister Rajnath Singh with a copy marked to HRD minister Smriti Irani.

The representation also included the request for creation of post of chief commissioner in UT. HT got hold of a copy of the letter marked to DPI (S) from the MHRD, which clearly mentions that the former is directed to ‘take appropriate action on the representation and send a direct reply to the applicant with endorsement to this department (MHRD’s department of school education and literacy)’.

As per information gathered under RTI, an employee should have worked for minimum five years in his/her parent state before being called or sent on deputation to another location.

However, various teachers have been sent to Chandigarh on deputation even before their probation period was over in the parent state.

UT cadre educational employees union president Swarn Singh Kamboj, said, “In 2010 the UT advisor had repatriated officials on deputation posted in the electricity wing of the engineering department, Chandigarh to their parent state. So, why can’t the education department ensure the same for their employees?”

He added, “Under an RTI that I filed back in 2011, I got a response saying no action has been taken by the education department against the deputation employees over-staying in the UT.”

When asked about what action would be initiated by the education department post MHRD’s directions, DPI(S) Rubinderjit Singh Brar said, “We will compile all figures regarding teachers and principals who have over-stayed their deputation period and look into the UT deputation quota. Then we will forward it to the competent authority ( UT adviser or administrator in this case) to finalise the action.”

Joint Action Committee secretary Ranbir Rana shared that the UT adviser had already directed the education department thrice in the past to ensure deputation employees who have over-stayed (over 5 years) in Chandigarh be sent back to their parent state.