SHILLONG, SEPT 3: A deputy chairman of the Congress led Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) who is also a school managing committee chairman Hopingstone Bareh has been accused of terminating two teachers on ground that the school has decided to refuse the SSA aided scheme.
Interestingly, the deputy chairman, who is an MDC of Sutnga constituency also claimed that he is also a teacher of the government aided school.
Sources, however, informed that the school is still being run under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme.
Bareh, who is also the chairman of the School Managing Committee (SMC) of the Jalaphet Mootha Lower Primary School, in East Jaintia Hills District has dismiss the services of Marvelous Dkhar and Nicely Pakem on May 3, 2014.
Dkhar and Pakem joined the school as teachers appointed under SSA Aided Scheme since 2006 and 2009.
Sources also alleged that the decision to dismiss their services by the SMC authority came after the two teachers lodged a complaint against the Chairman and Secretary of the SMC Hopingstone Bareh and Roimon Biam (also the headmaster) respectively for failing to release their salaries (funded by SSA) for more than eight months since August 2013 to March 2014.
Interestingly sources alleged that the headmaster, who is also holding the post of secretary in the SMC of school, is also the driver of the deputy chairman.
Earlier on October 2013, the chairman and secretary of the SMC had signed an agreement before the SDSEO and District Managing Coordinator of SSA L Rymbai to abide by the rule as per Project Approved Board (PAB) minutes of the central government of India.
Bareh in the agreement clearly agreed to pay the salaries of both the teachers on condition that if he fail, the office of the SDSEO East Jaintia hills district can take any legal action against him.
Sources, however, informed that after the release of the pending salaries, Bareh and his secretary issued the termination letter to both the teachers.
According to termination letters, the SMC claimed that – “It has found that by having taken the SSA scheme, the school fund has climbed down from year to year by the prohibition of the RTE Act, which directed the schools not to charge any school or tuition fees from the parents.”
On the termination issue the Civil Society Women’s Organization (CSWO) has sought the intervention of the State Project Director, SSA on Wednesday.
“We urged the authority concerned to intervene into the matter so that the teachers are reinstated and a thorough inquiry be initiated into the funds received by the school,” CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing said in a letter to the SPD, SSA.
She said besides the sudden termination of the teachers, the CSWO has also informed that despite being funded under the SSA, the school has been charging Rs 1000 from each student for the admission fees and Rs 250 from each student for monthly fees for 2010-2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 which is a clear violation of the RTE Act.”
“The school has also received the building funds of SSA but has not made any building as the school is run from the Chairman’s residence till date,” the CSWO alleged.
On being contacted, the deputy chairman Hopingstone Bareh claimed, “I am also teaching as a teacher in the school,” adding “The secretary, also headmaster is also teaching at the same time.”
Bareh claimed that in the capacity as the chairman of the SMC, he has written twice to the SSA authority to stop the implementation of the scheme from his school.
“However, the authority is yet to response to our letters,” Bareh said claiming that his school has already stopped accepting the funds coming from SSA since the month of May this year.- By Our Reporter
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