After 2-week suspension, officer gets another posting

Just two weeks after deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia ordered suspension of deputy director of education (Northwest A) Neena Kumari for not paying a single visit to a government school in Alipur, which he said resembled like a municipal dhallao, the AAP government reportedly posted her as the deputy director of education (school & welfare) in the national capital.

Mr Sisodia, who himself carried out the inspection of the school, had ordered that Ms Kumari and district education officer Kishore Kumar Sorte be placed under immediate suspension and major disciplinary proceedings be initiated against them for their colossal failure to perform their duties. But just two weeks after the ministers directive, assistant director education Ramesh Ram issued an order stating Ms Kumari was being transferred and posted as DDE (school & welfare) and would continue to draw the salary as usual.

The matter relates to a surprise visit of schools carried out by Mr Sisodia along with the sub-divisional magistrates of Narela, Model Town and Alipur in September. During his visit to the Government Boys Senior Secondary School in Alipur, the minister said that he was aghast about the state of affairs of the institution.

In his signed order, Mr Sisodia said no meaningful study whatsoever was possible in this kind of scenario and the officers responsible for the administration and supervision of the institution had failed in providing basic teaching facilities for the children, whose parents have put faith on the government machinery to educate their wards. He said it was a matter of shame for all those involved in the administration of education and this kind of attitude was absolutely unacceptable to the elected government.

Mr Sisodia said that he could not see any reason for the re-employment of school principal Asha Ram post superannuation in 2014, considering the state of affairs of the Alipur school. In his order, the deputy CM noted: “The school premises resembled a municipal dhallao and there are no words to express the dismal condition of the school. He (principal) has failed to maintain the basic acceptable level of hygiene at the school which the government intends to make temple of learning.”

While ordering the immediate termination of services of the principal, Mr Sisodia said chemistry laboratory assistant Rambir Singh Dahiya should also be dismissed or compulsory retired. He said that Ms Kumari and Mr Sorte had not visited the school even once during the past five years and therefore they too be placed under immediate suspension.

In his order, Mr Sisodia noted that there were cobwebs in almost all the classrooms. “ I am sure that the class rooms have not been cleaned for ages. Garbage was dumped in corner of all classrooms.”