SHILLONG: An allegation has been made against Hopingstone Bareh, Deputy Chairman of Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council (JHADC) who is also the chairman of a school managing committee, of terminating two teachers on the ground that the school has decided to refuse SSA-aided schemes.
The CSWO has lodged a complaint in this regard with State Project Director of SSA and sought his intervention into the matter.
Interestingly, the Deputy Chairman, who represents Sutnga constituency, also claims that he is a teacher of the government-aided school.
It may be mentioned that Bareh had terminated the services of two teachers – Marvelous Dkhar and Nicely Pakem – on May 3, 2014 from Jalaphet Mootha Lower Primary School in East Jaintia Hills District.
Dkhar and Pakem had joined the school as teachers appointed under SSA Aided Scheme in 2006 and 2009, respectively.
Sources alleged that the two teachers were sacked after they lodged a complaint against the Chairman and Secretary of the SMC, Hopingstone Bareh, and headmaster Roimon Biam for not paying their salaries (funded by SSA) from August 2013 to March 2014.
Sources also alleged that the headmaster, who is also holding the post of secretary in the SMC, is the driver of the Deputy Chairman.
“We urge the authority concerned to intervene into the matter so that the teachers are reinstated and a thorough inquiry be initiated into the funds received by the school,” CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing said in a letter to the State Project Director, SSA.
She said besides the sudden termination of the teachers, the school has also been charging Rs. 1000 from each student as admission fees and Rs. 250 from each student as monthly fees since 2010, despite being funded by SSA, which is a clear violation of the RTE Act.
“The school has also received the building funds of SSA but has not constructed any building as the school is being run from the Chairman’s residence,” the CSWO alleged.