Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru (SP)

Bengaluru, Feb 20: After a lot of dilly-dallying, the department of public instruction has finally decided to act against 157 teachers from primary and high schools, who had got transfers to places of their choice based on fake medical certificates. These transfers had been affected during the year 2014-15.

Although a meeting presided by the then commissioner of the department, K S Satyamurthy, on August 26, 2015, had decided to initiate disciplinary action against the teachers found guilty, the department had kept the action in abeyance.

In 2014-15, the department had accepted online transfer applications from eligible teachers. It was decided to give transfer on humanitarian grounds to teachers suffering from chronic diseases to the places on their choice based on authenticated medical certificates. A total of 635 applications with enclosures certifying diseases and disabilities had been received. 370 primary school teachers and 265 high schools teachers had provided medical certificates to prove that they were sick. Transfers were thereafter affected after holding counselling process.

The department, to its surprise, found that a large number of applications with medical certificates attached were received from a few districts like Chitradurga, Mandya and Chamarajanagara. The officials naturally grew suspicious about their genuineness. The teachers were subjected to re-examination by the medical board at the divisional level. During this exercise, it was proved that 137 teachers had furnished bogus medical certicates.

The department has now decided to re-transfer these teachers to the schools where they were previously working, and also to withhold one annual increment by way of disciplinary action. Director for primary education S Jayakumar, said that all the deputy directors of public instruction at the district level, have been directed to initiate action as above and report about the measures taken received from them would be forwarded to the government.