Teachers turn onion sellers in MP’s Rajgarh

section of government teachers in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district are up in arms after being ordered to sell onions to stop the vegetable from rotting in a year where a supply glut has sent prices plummeting.

District panchayat chief executive officer Praveen Singh asked the district civil supply department to procure the onions from farmer markets and transport it to Jan Shiksha Kendras – teacher-run centres to monitor school education and attendance — so that NGOs involved in the midday meal scheme could get onions at subsidised rates.

“The process will help the farmers in selling the onion easily. The measure is being taken to ensure the onion procured by the government is distributed among NGOs so that onion doesn’t rot,” the letter stated.

Madhya Pradesh is gripped by an acute agricultural crisis that has seen 14 farmers commit suicide in two weeks, reeling from falling prices and a demonetisation-induced cash crunch.

The government says the latest move is aimed at mitigating the distress. But teachers say the move will take up all their time and they will be forced to take time off from concentrating on teaching. The academic session began on Monday. Jan Sikhsha Kendra is set up to enhance the education level of the schools by monitoring it.

From proper attendance of teachers and students to holding classes, jan shikshaks have to keep a watch on the same.

“When will the injustice to teachers stop? Teachers in MP are in very poor condition,” said state teachers’ association general secretary Ashutosh Pandey.

Other teachers said the government often praised private schools for better results but overlooked the fact state staff was overburdened with non-teaching work.