Ajay Sharma
Reasi, November 21: Notwithstanding the tall claims of the government of brining transparency in transfers, authorities in Reasi district have allegedly manipulated teacher postings to benefit a select few “well-connected” educators at the expense of students of remote schools.
According to sources, the Chief Education Officer (CEO) of Reasi district on November 18 issued a transfer orders, though ‘need basis’, wherein more than dozen teachers were transferred.
“The order, approved by higher authorities in the School Education Department, involves the transfer of 15–16 teachers, including several Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) and Regularized Rehbar-e-Taleem (RRT) teachers, across various government schools in the district Reasi,” said sources, adding that teachers living far from their schools (some commuting 30–40 km daily, taking up to 2.5 hours) have been left untouched.
They said that the teachers who were already posted just minutes from their homes have been shifted even closer — in some cases, literally to schools on their doorstep or within their home panchayat.
Sources added that many of the beneficiaries are said to have family members or relatives serving in senior positions in the Education Department or other “high authorities” in Jammu.
“Teachers who had to travel only half a kilometre extra have been immediately adjusted near their homes, while those posted in far-flung and difficult areas continue to suffer. This is not rationalisation — this is pure favoritism and this has been done on the pretext of need-basis arrangement,” alleged sources, adding that the transfers do little to address actual shortages in subjects or improve student-teacher ratios in schools.
Meanwhile, locals demanded immediate intervention from the concerned authorities, including Lieutenant Governor and Chief Secretary.
They have urged the authorities to cancel the transfer order and constitute an independent committee to investigate this latest order and alleged involvement of senior officers.
