Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday faced an embarrassment when Government school teachers made an allegation at an event that they had to lobby the MLAs and were forced to pay money as bribe for their transfers and new postings. The teachers levelled the charge in the presence of Education Minister Govind Singh Dotasra.
Addressing a State-level function at B.M. Birla Auditorium here to honour teachers, Mr. Gehlot himself raised the issue of transfer of teachers and said he had been told that they had to approach the local MLAs, who in turn lobbied with Ministers.
He then asked the audience if it was true that they had to pay money for transfers and postings. The teachers replied: “Yes... We have to pay.” A red-faced Chief Minister, who was at a loss for words, said sarcastically: “Kamaal hai!”
Revisit required
Overcoming the initial shock, he said that the transfer policy should be revisited. “It is really painful that you have to pay money... There is a need to revisit the transfer policy. It should be changed,” he said.
A video clip of the interaction went viral on social media, prompting the Opposition BJP to claim that corruption had taken an “institutionalised form” in the government. The BJP State president Satish Poonia alleged that corruption was rampant in every department.
Mr. Dotasra, who is also the Pradesh Congress Committee president, later said that any possibility of bribery for teachers’ transfers would be scrapped with the implementation of a new policy.
A total of 99 government school teachers were felicitated for their achievements in promoting the quality of education and improving the infrastructure.
Mr. Gehlot said the establishment of Mahatma Gandhi English medium schools was a “revolutionary step” in the State, as it would create a level playing field for the children from underprivileged families to compete for employment.
The faculty members at the English medium schools were being appointed on merit to ensure high quality of education, said Mr. Gehlot. The principals of the four Mahatma Gandhi Schools in Jaipur were selected on the basis of interviews and their performance in the schools where they were posted earlier.
The mass-scale transfers of principals and teachers of government schools, carried out in the middle of the academic session before the outbreak of pandemic last year, had created difficulties for thousands of students and affected their studies. The teachers’ bodies have been demanding formulation of a policy stipulating both urban and rural postings to take care of schools in the remote villages being run without teachers.
Cabinet reshuffle
Addressing another function of the Secretariat Employees’ Union here, Mr. Gehlot said the Cabinet reshuffle would take place soon in the State. “Now that your oath ceremony has been organised, our swearing in ceremony will also take place soon,” Mr. Gehlot said. He had met Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi last week to discuss the issue of reshuffle and political appointments.
