Jammu Tawi, Aug 19: Nine teachers of two Government schools in Kishtwar district have been suspended for not hoisting the national flag in their schools on Independence Day.
The nine teachers posted at Middle School Batwari and Primary School Khandole were placed under suspension by Zonal Education Officer (CEO) Inderwal on August 16.
The official under Chief Education Officer's order has also constituted a three member committee to inquire into the matter. The committee has been ordered to submit the report within a week.
“We received information from ZEO Inderwal on 16th August, suggesting that nine teachers of two schools in Kishtwar had not hoisted the national flag in their respective educational institutions. After getting information, it came to fore that the teachers had failed to hoist the flag and subsequently they were placed under suspension with immediate effect”, Chief Education Officer (CEO) Kishtwar Sudarshan Kumar Sharma told Kashmir Observer on Friday.
The CEO further added that a three member committee has also been formed to inquire into the matter. “The three member committee includes the ZEO, a Headmaster and one principal. The team will conduct an in depth enquiry into the matter and will submit a detailed report to me within 7 days to proceed further in the matter,” Sharma said, adding that the investigation will find out whether it was their ignorance or the suspended teachers had willingly not hoisted the national flag.
Pertinently, the Union Territory Government had issued instructions to hoist the tricolor on all the buildings and schools across J&K on August 15 and to celebrate the Independence Day with zeal as a part of Government's ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' initiative.
However, as per the official, the instructions were not followed by the school managements of Middle School Batwari and Primary School Khandole.
As per reports, PRIs of Khandole & Batwari had telephonically approached the higher ups on 15th August at 11 am, alleging that despite strict instructions from the district administration, not even a single teacher has turned up to hoist the national flag on the school building of Primary School Khandole and Middle School Batwari.
As the district administration got to know about the absence of teachers in two schools, the officials immediately requested the local Panchayat members to hoist National Flags on the premises of both the schools.
“Further action will be taken only after getting the report of the inquiry committee”, CEO Kishtwar informed.
The nine suspended teachers include Rafiq Ahmed, Piyare Lal, Ayaz Ahmed, Sajjad Ahmed Wani, Farooq Ahmed Bumal, Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Wani, Mohammad Sikandar, Shaida Banoo and Ghulam Hussain Butt.
