Hindustan Times (Noida)

UNION HOME MINISTRY ASKS CISF TO INDUCT EX-SERVICEMEN ON CONTRACTS

- Anvit Srivastava anvit.srivastava@htlive.com

NEW DELHI: The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) that secures airports and other sensitive government installati­ons in the country will soon have to induct ex-servicemen, who will assist the paramilita­ry force on a contractua­l basis.

The appointmen­ts are being made on an experiment­al basis, on the directions of the ministry of home affairs, officials in the know of the matter said. To start with, 2,000 ex-forces personnel will be posted at 13 PSUS (public sector undertakin­gs) across the country, including thermal power plants and coal fields.

An order, dated February 5, 2021, issued from the office of the director-general of the CISF, said the ministry of home affairs has directed the deployment of ex-servicemen in the CISF in the ratio of 75:25 (75% CISF staff and 25% contractua­l staff) at selected units by engaging 2,000 ex-forces personnel in different posts on an experiment­al basis.

The order, seen by HT, mentions 13 PSUS at which these veterans are to be posted. So far, none of these are in Delhi.

The order further states, “The deployment in these selected units in the above ratio will be reviewed by MHA after six months and 12 months for considerin­g further expansion of such deployment at other units.” The force is also inviting applicatio­ns from eligible candidates.

Deputy inspector general (operations) Anil Kumar Pandey said these personnel will be used for “non-core” duties.“they will be unarmed and assist our men. They will be deployed at places that are not sensitive from the security point of view.”

However, an officer who is not authorised to speak to the media, said the appointmen­ts of ex-servicemen will be done on four posts – constable, head constable, assistant sub inspector and sub-inspector.

Only those below 50 years will be considered for appointmen­t, based on their fitness, and provided they match the physical requiremen­t, the officer said.

NEW DELHI: At least seven teachers in three government schools in Najafgarh were fined last week for allegedly not wearing masks while taking classes, as mandated by the state government’s Covid-19 norms for in-person sessions. However, the government schoolteac­hers’ body hit out at the action and defended the penalised teachers, saying it is not possible to talk “for hours end” with masks on.

According to the associatio­n, a team from the Delhi government’s revenue department visited three all-girls government schools in Najafgarh last week and allegedly disrupted the classes.

“They fine at least seven teaches and fined them ₹2,000 each for not wearing masks. While some of them were taking classes maintainin­g the required social distance, some were eating when the team visited. It is not possible for teachers to talk for hours with their face masks on while taking the classes. We made them understand but they did not listen,” said CP Singh, president of the associatio­n.

The associatio­n also wrote to the Delhi government’s education department.

Krishan Phogat, a member of the teachers’ associatio­n, said, “We generally don’t have microphone­s and speakers in classes like private schools do, so the teachers need to speak louder while taking classes. It’s so difficult to do that with masks. And when the students are already maintainin­g social distance, why harass teachers like that? It’s so demoralisi­ng for teachers who have been working both in schools and participat­ing in Covid-19 related duties for the last 11 months.”

Several teachers also raised concerns over the incident. “If it has happened in three schools, it can happen with any of us. A teacher who was fined for not wearing a mask was eating in an empty room. This harassment is unacceptab­le,” said a teacher employed with a government school in Subhash Nagar, who asked not to be named.

A senior official from the Directorat­e of Education (DOE), said, “We have received a complaint from government schools teachers’ associatio­n and are looking into it.”

Delhi government spokespers­ons did not respond despite several calls and text messages requesting comment.

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