The district administration here has issued show-cause notices to around 40 schoolteachers for “failing” to turn up for Census or election-related duties.
The issue was taken up with Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) by a delegation of the Democratic Teachers Front (DTF), Patiala. The delegation led by Harvinder Singh Rakhra told the ADC that the teachers had been assigned duties simultaneously for both works.
Rakhra said the ADC assured the delegation that such cases brought to the administration’s notice would be reviewed and one of the overlapping assignments would be withdrawn.
He said the administration had also assured the withdrawal of show-cause notices issued in such cases.
The DTF delegation claimed that more than 50 teachers across the district had been deputed for both works. The teachers’ body also flagged difficulties being faced by teachers amid the prevailing heatwave conditions. Referring to measures adopted in some other districts, the delegation demanded that teachers engaged in Census duties be exempted from regular school duties during the assignment period.
The delegation sought adequate safety arrangements for women teachers engaged in the Census work.
The teachers’ body also demanded that those assigned duties far from their homes or schools be shifted to nearby centres to ease logistical difficulties.
