Arbitrary transfer of teachers resented

SAMBALPUR: The recent transfer of teachers, made to maintain the teacher-student ratio as per the guidelines of the Right to Education Act, has not gone down well with the teachers. The teachers under the banner of Sambalpur Municipality Primary Teachers  Federation (SMPTF) and Sambalpur chapter of Nikhil Utkal Prathamika Sikhyaka Federation have joined hands against the State Government and district administration over the transfers.   In a release, federation advisor Golak Chandra Padhi while welcoming the aim behind the transfers has accused the DI of Schools of anomaly in the transfers. Members of the transfer committee  including the Zilla Parishad president and the Chairman of urban local bodies have been kept in dark about the transfers,  giving an impression of ulterior motive. Teachers such as widows, handicapped and medically unfit or people on the verge of retirement have been transferred and given no concession while those transferred for serving in a school for more than 15 years have been replaced by teachers allegedly close to the DI of Schools.  No estimate of students under the DI of Schools, Sambalpur, comprising Maneswar, Dhakauda, Jujumura besides ULB has been made, Padhi alleged adding that the transfers would have been beneficial if a database on the number of students reading in various schools under the DI of School was maintained.  Informing that teachers working under ULB should have been transferred within the respective ULBs, he has questioned their transfer to blocks.   Demanding that the transfers be reviewed and the anomaly rectified, Padhi urged the District Collector to intervene and ensure that teachers get justice. However, District Inspector of Schools, Sambalpur, Tanu Chandra Pradhan denied violation of any rules and guidelines of the State Government and the transfer has been effected to keep the teacher-student ratio at 1:40 against the norm of 1:30 as per the Right to Education Act.