436 primary teachers appointed in Assam without govt146;s knowledge

Exposing holes in the system that has allowed hundreds of candidates to be appointed as teachers without the authorities knowledge...

Exposing holes in the system that has allowed hundreds of candidates to be appointed as teachers without the authorities knowledge, a huge racket has been busted.

With as many as 436 primary teachers allegedly appointed through illegal means, the scam is believed to be a state-wide affair.

Nine persons have been arrested so far, including Amulya Choudhury, an officer of the Assam Civil Service at present additional deputy commissioner in Cachar district, former Nalbari District Elementary Education Officer Nagen Chandra Boro, former Nalbari deputy inspector of schools Golok Chandra Deka, and two former Nalbari treasury officers Siddheswar Kalita and Chiranjeeb Das.

An inquiry committee constituted in June by the state government had earlier this month reported large-scale illegal appointments of primary school teachers in Nalbari district, and had suggested these appointments be cancelled. The report also pointed out that back-dated appointment letters were issued showing candidates as having joined schools in other districts and then transferred to Nalbari.

An FIR filed by the District Elementary Education Officer DEEO on August 21 said former DEEO Nagen Chandra Boro, along with former deputy inspector GC Deka and several others, 8220;criminally conspired8221; to appoint as many as 436 teachers by adopting means like forgery, manipulation, fabrication, tampering and showing appointees as on transfer with post from other districts.

Choudhury, during his stint as extra assistant commissioner in Nalbari had officiated as DEEO, during which he too had allegedly joined the gang. 8220;Such appointments have been on for a long time. While some date back to 1994, most of the 436 persons were appointed between 1999 and 2005,8221; Ripun Bora, Assam minister for education told The Indian Express.

The period from 1999 to 2005 covers tenures of governments headed by both AGP as well as Congress.

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Bora said the appointments were made while there was a government ban on recruitments. 8220;Moreover, even if a person was to be appointed, it is the responsibility of the state director of elementary education to do so,8221; the minister said. He added that whatever was unearthed so far could just be the tip of the iceberg. 8220;Irregularity in appointment of teachers has been also reported from several other districts.8221;

Bora also admitted that treasury officials were also in league with such rackets as the one busted in Nalbari. Two of the six arrested in Nalbari are former treasury officers, he said.