Chandigarh, September 1
Though the Punjab Education Department has initiated the process to remove from service 1288 teachers selected wrongly, the relevant orders in this connection will await the return tomorrow of Education Minister Tota Singh from abroad.
Informed official sources told The Tribune that the case to remove 1288 teachers had been processed at the highest level in the Education Department and the file sent to the Secretary, Education (Schools) for necessary action.
Following detailed investigations, a Punjab Vidhan Sabha committee headed by Mr Tota Singh, Education Minister, had recommended the removal from service of all 1288 teachers who did not fall in the merit list but were selected. The committee has also recommended to offer the appointment letters to those teachers who were deliberately placed lower than the 1288 selected teachers in the merit list prepared for making the final selection.
After tabling its report in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, the Chairman of the committee has sent one copy of it to the Education Department for necessary action. As Mr Tota Singh himself was Chairman of the committee and also Minister of the Education Department, he would have to implement what he has recommended in the report. However, official sources said as there would be political implications of the removal of the teachers concerned, it has been felt that the case for removal of the teachers should once again be presented before the Education Minister.
If he okayed the process initiated by the department, proper notices would be served on the teachers concerned.
The committee has also recommended strict action against those who made the wrong selections by tampering with the merit lists. As record of the selections of two categories of teachers was missing, action should also be taken against the officials supposed to be custodian of such record.
The committee was set up by the
Speaker on March 11, 1999, to probe the selection of teachers made during the previous Congress Government. Other members of the committee were Mr Sujan Singh, Mr Tikshan Sood, Mr Arunesh Kumar Shakar, Mr Gurdeep Singh Bhullar, Mr Hardev Arshi and Mr Tej Parkash Singh.
In 1992, the government had sought applications to fill 2461 vacant posts of teacher in the state. As many as 45 departmental panels were set up on September 3, 1992 for selecting teachers. Against 2461 vacant posts advertised by the government, 7737 teachers were selected by the selection panels.
Following investigations and inspection of the relevant records, the Vidhan Sabha committee found that 1025 candidates were selected as lecturers. Out of these, the selection of 274 lecturers was found to be wrong. They were selected ignoring 274 other aspirants who were actually above in the merit. The committee has not only recommended action against the chairperson of the selection committee but also removal of 274 lecturers who were selected wrongly.
The committee has also recommended that those who were above in the merit than the wrongly selected candidates should now be offered jobs. Among the unfairly selected lecturers, 212 are women.
Likewise, the committee has found fault with the selection of 88 vocational teachers. Out of 390 selected as vocational teachers, the selection of 302 has been found correct. The committee has recommended that in place of 88 vocational teachers to be removed, others who were above in the merit should be appointed.
However, the biggest number to be removed from service is of masters. The committee has recommended the removal of 926 masters of different subjects. This figure includes 608 women. The selection of 2204 masters out of 3130 selected for the job has been found as per merit. The committee has recommended that those who were above in the merit than the 926 wrongly selected masters should be offered appointment letters.
