3 teachers suspended for lapses in work, fund scam

BERHAMPUR: Three teachers, including two in-charge headmasters, of different upper primary schools in Ganjam district's Khallikote block were suspended on Saturday for dereliction of duty and misappropriation of government funds.

The suspended teachers are as Bibhuti Bhusan Panda and Rabindra Kumar Bej, in-charge headmasters of Project Upper Primary School, BNPur and Primary School, Jagannathpatna, respectively and Dibakar Tahala, assistant teacher, Utkalmani Primary School, Subulia.

The action was taken against the teachers by the block education officer (BEO) basing on the reports of the district focus monitoring committee, which visited all the schools in the block on Friday, said district education officer (DEO) Sanatan Panda. The DEO said the focus monitoring team is an advisory body.

Around 100 officers divided into 22 groups visited all 217 schools, including primary, upper primary, high schools and Adarsha vidyalayas, in the block on Friday to assess the different activities in the schools.

Despite prior intimation to schoolteachers about the visit of the focus monitoring team, the primary school at Jagannathpatna was closed by the time the team reached at 3pm. The usual time of closing schools is 4pm. "We also tried to contact the in-charge headmaster and Tahala, who was deputed to the school, but in vain," said block development officer (BEO), Khallikote, Amrit Preeti Nanda.

Similarly, the focus team found the students sitting outside the classroom at the school in BNPur. The toilets were lying unutilised. Moreover, headmaster had drawn Rs 50,000 last year for repair of the toilets. While he kept around Rs 25,000 with himself and bought cement and sand with rest amount, the BEO said. According to rules, he can't keep the government money for such a long period, she said.

Moreover, the monitoring team also found the students were not served eggs in the midday meal on that day, even though eggs were kept in a container in the school. Earlier, some villagers had complained against the headmaster, she said.

"As an exemplary action, we suspended them after the visiting teams submitted their reports," said the BEO. The focus monitoring team also recommended DEO, BEO and headmasters to take appropriate action if they find any problem.

Earlier, the team visited Sorada, Rangeilunda, Chhatrapur, Polasara blocks and Berhampur Municipal Corporation areas, said the DEO.