600 students suffer as teachers at loggerheads with chairman accused of sexual harassment
Narinder Singh Randhawa (the chairman) pays only one third of the salary amount that he gets for teachers from the government. SARIKA DHAWAN, principal, Adarsh School at Middumaan, Faridkot We have ordered DEOs of Faridkot and Moga to conduct inquiries into functioning of the two Adarsh Schools owned by Randhawa. SURINDER PAL SINGH, deputy state project director, Adarsh schools
FARIDKOT: Studies of around 600 students of Adarsh School at Middumaan village in the district are suffering as teachers and the chairman of the institute have been at loggerheads for the past one year.
Teachers have now involved the students in their campaign for the removal of chairman Narinder Singh Randhawa, who faces charges of rape and sexual harassment and is currently on bail that was granted by the Punjab and Haryana high court.
Teachers also claim that the management has failed to give their salaries since July 2017. They allege Randhawa has made fake firms to claim the bills and is also receiving the salaries against fake appointments.
School principal Sarika Dhawan said Randhawa pays only one third of the salary amount that he gets for teachers from the government.
After taking over the school in October 2016, Randhawa sacked as many as 20 teachers. Though teachers got a stay order on their sacking from the high court in the same month, the chairman’s move put them on a constant conflict with the management.
However, Randhawa refuted all charges, saying he is being wrongly framed by the teachers and is ready for any inquiry. He alleged that due to the teachers’ hostile behaviour, he is not able to run the school smoothly.
PARENTS LAMENT
Talking to HT, parents lamented that studies of their children have been suffering due to the conflict in the school.
They said they have requested the education department to shift their wards to other schools so that they can at least concentrate on their studies.
Parents also claimed that the chairman also fleeced the students of two Adarsh Schools run by him in Faridkot and Moga by charging them for the books which are supposed to be free.
The village panchayat has also urged the Punjab government to resolve the issue at the earliest.
During a visit to the Middumann school, HT found students studying in an under-construction building. They were made to sit in stinking classes, which were filled with mud.
OFFICIALSPEAK
Meanwhile, deputy state project director Surinder Pal Singh said the education department has sought the documents from the management regarding allegations of misuse and cheating of funds levelled by the teachers.
“We have ordered the DEOs of Faridkot and Moga to conduct inquiries into the functioning of the two Adarsh Schools owned by Randhawa in these districts and will take necessary action once we get their reports,” he added.