Will take action against defiant teachers, says HRDD

TRANSFERRED TEACHERS TO REPORT TO DISTRICT JOINT DIRECTORS OR FACE DISCIPLINARY ACTION
GANGTOK, 23 May: Taking a firm stand the Human Resource Development Department has asked all the 146 transferred Primary Regular Teachers (PRTs) to report to their respective Joint Directors of the Districts to obtain their exact places of postings within the stipulated period [10 days from date of receipt of transfer orders]. The Department has made it clear that it will be compelled to initiate necessary action against teachers who remain defiant and ignore their transfer orders.
The HRDD Secretary, CS Rao, while admitting that “few teachers” are not satisfied with the transfers, said today that if the transferred teachers did not report to the respective district Joint Directors within the stipulated time, the department will be compelled to initiate necessary disciplinary action under the Sikkim Government Servants (Discipline and Appeal) Rule against the defaulters.
He added that the transferred teachers should bear in mind the importance of education for students of other districts and treat the transfers as part of their service. The Secretary further expressed hope of cooperation from the teachers once they join their respective new places of work.
In a press release issued today the Secretary points out that schools in West, South and North districts were facing a collective shortage of 282 primary regular teachers – 127 short in West, 136 short in South and 19 in North Sikkim schools.
“Our teachers should also give importance to the students studying in other districts as they are also part of our State and future of our State. The students in the three districts should also not be deprived of their right to education.... Please treat it as a service to our State because the children studying here are our future. In this regard your kind cooperation will highly be appreciated,” the Secretary states in the appeal.
On the other hand, Sikkim Teachers Association has reiterated that they were not against the transfers as such, but believe that these must be carried out in accordance with a well-defined transfer policy which is yet to be framed by the HRD Department.
The STA president, Goverdhan Gurung, and general secretary, Chewang Norbu Bhutia, while speaking to media persons today stated that the blame for over-staffing of teachers in the East district schools should be equally shared by the Department.
“Favouring near and dear ones of people with power in transfers in the past has been the root cause of the problem,” they stated.
Mr. Gurung regretted that a mid-session mass transfer has been affected by the Department without adhering to its own guidelines notified in 2009. “This has not only caused hardships to a good number of teachers but is likely to disturb the continuity in children’s education,” he contended.
The teachers have demanded that transfer orders be issued at the end of an academic session and not midterm like this time.
“Nine senior teachers who are above 50 years of age have also been transferred, violating its own guidelines of 2009,” informed Mr. Bhutia adding that the guidelines notified in 2009 were not followed while transferring the 146 teachers.
They further informed that HRD Minister, NK Pradhan has also refused to intervene in the matter and asked the teachers to abide by the transfer orders. However, the Minister admitted that the points raised by the STA are genuine and assured to consider them in the future, they added.