New Delhi: Referring to a media report claiming that “no irregularities” have been found regarding guest teachers in Delhi schools, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed the probe as “obstacles” and asked what purpose was sought to be served by them.
The Delhi chief minister tweeted, “24 hours fake investigations. Putting obstacles in every work. Stopping everything. What will be achieved by this?”
The matter pertains to an internal inquiry directed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena into the alleged irregularities in the engagement of guest teachers in Delhi government schools and the alleged embezzlement of funds by paying salaries to non-existent or ‘ghost’ guest teachers.
“LG Secretariat has asked the Chief Secretary to advise Director (Education) to immediately verify the engagement, physical attendance, drawl of salaries of all guest teachers engaged by AAP Government in Delhi government schools,” a statement by the LG office read.
The LG had earlier granted permission to the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) for conducting an investigation against 4 serving and retired Vice Principals for fraudulently drawing Guest Teacher’s salaries in the name of “non-existent guest teachers” in the Government Boys Senior Secondary School (GBSSS-I) in Mansarovar Park, Delhi.
The case pertains to the payment of Rs 4.21 lakh to three persons namely Samiksha Arya with Rs. 1,35,900, Uma Shastri with Rs. 1,42,078 and Chottey Lal with Rs. 1,43,678 despite the fact that “neither of the three names was appointed in the school.”
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had accused Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena of defaming the state’s education system.
Addressing a press conference, the AAP MLA Saurabh Bharadwaj said, “In the last 7-8 years, Delhi’s government school teachers have worked even harder than our Education Minister Manish Sisodia. But yet, the L-G is trying to defame the 18 lakh government school students and 60,000 teachers by putting out false data and calling them worthless.”
“While we have beautified Delhi over the last few years, a man from Gujarat suddenly showed up and started defaming us and questioning our years of hard work,” he added.
