Scores of teachers deputed in ‘hard zones’ of Machil, Keran, Jumgand and Budnamal in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district are not being transferred back to their parent zones even after completing one year of necessary services in the ‘hard zones’.
According to the directions passed by the then Commissioner Secretary Education ShaleenKabra under order number 622 of 2015 teachers after performing duties in ‘hard zones’ for a year must be transferred back to their parent zones without delay.
However, 35 teachers from different educational zones of this district have not been called back even after completing their one-year tenure in ‘hard zones’.
A group of aggrieved teachers said that they have joined duties in ‘hard zones’ on 2nd March 2020 and were anticipating their transfer back to their parent zones as per the administrative guidelines.
However, the officials at the Chief Education Officer (CEO), Kupwara said that they had not been transferred back to their parent zones as they were not present in the ‘hard zones’ due to COVID-19.
The teachers denied this saying that since ‘hard zones’ in Kupwara lack mobile connectivity, they stayed back and delivered community classes during COVID-19.
“If we were not physically present there, how our salary was disbursed and how were students in ‘hard zones’ promoted to next classes,” a teacher said.
Another teachers said that most of the teachers, both general line and ReTs belonging to ‘hard zones’ had managed attachment orders for themselves at district headquarters where they enjoy soft postings.
Meanwhile CEO Kupwara Abdul Hamid Fani said that the teachers were hardly there for a few months.