Chandigarh, 21 August:- Report prepared by Democratic Teachers Front (D.T.F.) Punjab has exposed false claims of Punjab Government claiming 'Sikhya Kranti' by revealing 30 percent posts of District Education Officers vacant across state. Actually at present in Punjab there is one-one post per district of District Education Officer (Secondary), District Education Officer (Elementary), Deputy District Education Officer (Secondary) and Deputy District Education Officer (Elementary), who have to run entire education management in district. Among these posts, posts of District Education Officers are filled through promotion via Departmental Promotion Committee (D.P.C.) on basis of seniority from Principal cadre. Through same process selected officers are also appointed as Assistant Directors in main Directorate offices of Education Department DSE (Elementary and Secondary), SCERT and Recruitment Cell. While there are no fixed rules to fill post of Deputy District Education Officer.
Giving information in this regard D.T.F. Punjab state president Vikram Dev Singh, General Secretary Mahinder Kauran Wali, Finance Secretary Ashwani Awasthi said that instead of showing seriousness towards school education, Education Department Punjab is keeping vacant for long time important posts of District Education Officer, who has to run entire district, at many places. Its example are districts like Hoshiarpur and Tarn Taran where three-three out of four posts are vacant. Similarly in Faridkot, Shri Muktsar Sahib and Fazilka two-two out of four posts are vacant. Similarly in Amritsar, Gurdaspur, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Mohali, Fatehgarh Sahib, Patiala, Ludhiana, Mansa and Barnala districts one-one post out of these four important posts is vacant. If report of whole Punjab is looked at then it is found that out of 23, 7 posts of D.E.O. (Secondary) and also 7 out of 23 posts of D.E.O. (Elementary) are vacant. Punjab's Malerkotla district is such district which has been formed more than five years ago, but till now sanctioned posts of District Education Officer have not been given here. To look after education management of this district, additional charge has been given to District Education Officers of Sangrur district and Principals of Malerkotla.
Leaders further said that to run education management in district, district is divided into blocks whose management is to be seen by Block Primary Education Officer, through this officer not only primary but grants given to secondary department and education management also has to be seen. But in Punjab during so-called Sikhya Kranti more than 110 out of 228 posts of Block Primary Officers are vacant, all 11 of 11 blocks of Education Minister's own district Rupnagar are devoid of B.P.E.O. Similarly management of Senior Secondary schools is seen by Principals whose shortage disclosures were made by DTF in report issued in February last year. With so much time passing number of vacant posts of Principals has now reached near 1100 (more than 56%), despite this vacant posts of Principals have not yet been filled.
Leaders demanded that important posts like District Education Officer be filled immediately and for posts of Deputy District Education Officers also giving special increase in pay grade criteria for filling on seniority basis through Departmental Promotion Committee be fixed. Along with this meeting of Departmental Promotion Committee (D.P.C.) be ensured every month so that continuity and regularity can remain in appointment of District Education Officers and Assistant Directors and loss happening to education system can be checked.