Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, November 28:
With investigators confirming that 222 teachers in the Education Department are fake appointees, altogether 222 FIRs have been registered with the State police while another 1005 suspected cases have been handed over to the Vigilance Dept to further probe the case.
Speaking to The Sangai Express today, Education (S) Minister Francis Ngajokpa said that the FIRs were lodged in the past one week and added that the Vigilance Department has also been asked to probe the case of 1005 employees who are under the suspect scanner.
Stating that the Education (S) Department is today caught in a cess pool of corruption and all round decay, the Minister said that apart from the fake appointment cases, around Rs 45 crores meant for pension/arrears for 900 Head Pandits were found fraudulently withdrawn.
The Special Investigation Team is probing the matter, he said and added that 27 officials including, Additional Director, Joint Director and ZEOs have been suspended in connection with the case.
To a question on the process being taken up to recruit graduate teachers (Arts and Science), under graduate teachers and primary teachers, the Minister said that the long ban on fresh recruitment has resulted in huge vacancies of teachers in the Education (S) Department.
It was to meet the acute shortage of teachers, that the State Cabinet decided to recruit fresh teachers, said Ngajokpa and recalled the vocal demands raised by student organisations for adequate Maths and Science teachers in the hill areas.
If nothing unforeseen comes up then efforts will be made to complete the recruitment process of the teachers in time for the next academic session, he added.
To another question, Ngajokpa said that the State Government is working over time to ensure that text books are made available to the students on time for the next academic session.
The publication work of most of the text books have been finalised, he said and added that the text books are most likely to hit the book stores by December.
Plans are also on to hold the HSLC and HSSLC examinations simultaneously in March next year, informed the Minister and explained that this is being mooted to ensure that the academic calendar is not disturbed.