Top trade union leader in Civil Secretariat repatriated, posted in Tangmarg

Government cancels attachment of all teachers; 87 posted in Valley schools

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

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JAMMU, Feb 3: In a significant development in the Governor’s administration, Government has cancelled attachment of all teachers, masters and lecturers in the School Education Department. Those removed unceremoniously from their choicest postings in the Centre-sponsored schemes, repatriated to School Education Department and posted in different schools across Kashmir valley include the prominent trade union leader Abdul Qayoom Wani who on January 30 had threatened to take his “war” with Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) and the year 2010 IAS topper Dr Shah Faesal to the streets.

Informed sources revealed to STATE TIMES that the Governor’s administration, at different levels of bureaucracy, took an extremely serious notice of the publicly held out threats of the Jammu and Kashmir Teachers Forum (JKTF) leaders and decided to affect an overhaul of the system. The axe fell on Wani who had not only used unparliamentary language and levelled unsubstantiated charges of corruption against Dr Faesal but also said that the DSEK had “put his hand into the lion’s mouth” by ordering the transfer of the three JKTF office-bearers.

Wani and his JKTF colleagues had intensified their tirade against the IAS officer with a gherao around his office in Srinagar on January 30 and warned that the Director would expose himself to serious consequences if he failed to roll back his orders. They alleged that DSEK had demonised their association and the teaching community by calling the teachers “mafia” and “nuisance”.

Initiating any action against Wani was thought to be impossible as he enjoyed tremendous influence over the five lakh government employees in his capacity as the head of the Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC). Former Minister of School Education Tara Chand had ordered Wani’s attachment to the Centre-sponsored Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and posted him conveniently in Civil Secretariat.

After elaborate consultations between Commissioner-Secretary School Education Shaleen Kabra, Chief Secretary B.R. Sharma and Raj Bhawan, Government on Tuesday evening decided to cancel all the attachment of teachers ordered in the last few years, particularly in the six-year coalition regime headed by Omar Abdullah.

Commissioner-Secretary School Education Shaleen Kabra, after seeking Governor’s approval, issued Government Order No: 26-Edu of 2016 Dated 02-02-2016 whereby all the attachments of teachers, masters and lecturers, including the seven in SSA, were cancelled with immediate effect. All the officials enjoying attachments in the two directorates, Civil Secretariat, SSA and RMSA Project Directorates were relieved and repatriated to the field. DSEs of Kashmir and Jammu were directed to issue their posting orders within three days.

Consequent upon the Government Order, DSEK on Wednesday issued Order No: 123 DSEK Dated 03-02-2016 and ordered transfer and posting of 87 teachers, masters and head masters. Mr Wani was posted in High School Ogmula in Tangmarg area of Baramulla district. He is reportedly a resident of Tangmarg.

DSEK as well as the senior bureaucrats in Civil Secretariat refused to admit that Wani’s repatriation was in any manner linked to his trade union activity or his conflict with the Head of Department. They insisted that the reshuffle was “purely in the interest of the administration”.

According to KNS, Wani welcomed the order of his transfer and asserted to carry on his “fight for welfare of the employees”. He, however, alleged that the former Education Minister Naeem Akhtar was “still calling the shots”.

 “I am happily going to follow the administrative orders. I hope that the administration is not playing any game or politics with the employees by cancelling the attachments and transferring employees,” he is reported to have said.

“We (teachers) will jointly spoil the anti-employee intentions of administration who are putting their efforts to suppress the voices of employees working in the department. Despite the government formation is still on cards, the department is still running on the directions of former Education Minister, Naeem Akhtar. It is he who calls the shots,” Wani reportedly alleged.

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