Inspection teams to check corruption in schools

Balwant Garg

Tribune News Service

Faridkot, July 27

The Secretary, School Education, has constituted special inspection teams to check allegations of corruption against Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs), and clerical staff in several government schools.

Krishan Kumar, Secretary, School Education, said: “I have received several complaints that DDOs and clerical staff are demanding bribe from teachers for forwarding their salary and arrear bills to the treasury office. If teachers refuse to pay up, the DDOs delay sending their bills to the treasury.”

He directed Circle Education Officers (CEOs) and District Education Officers (DEOs) this week to constitute special teams for the inspection of the Block Primary Education Offices (BPEOs) and government schools to curb corruption.

Each inspecting team would assess a minimum 10 schools and BPEOs every month and send a report to the Education Department, Kumar said.

The teams will check whether or not the clerical staff is maintaining the cash book, annual confidence reports (ACRs) and pension files, updating the GPF files and service books, providing Form 16 to employees, and informing the authorities about vacancies in schools.

The Secretary’s order has not gone down well with the clerical staff. “More than 75 per cent of clerical posts in schools and BPEOs is lying vacant. So, it is difficult to complete the work,” an employee said.

Kumar said, “The shortage of staff is no excuse to demand bribe.”