No to functions on school premises

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 12

While schools have been at the receiving end of various instructions ever since the election code of conduct came into effected, in fresh instructions issued to schools today, they have been asked not to hold any function on their premises during the model of conduct.

The instructions issued to school heads across the state by the Deputy Director, Secondary Education, state that during the election code of conduct, no function should be held at any school nor any person from a political party should be called as chief guest to any school for any event being held there.

The Deputy Director, Secondary Education, has issued these instructions to all CEOs and DEOs across the districts of the state to be further implemented by school heads and principals.

Earlier too, after the code of conduct came into effect, schools had been asked to submit certificates to the DEO office that none of them had any propaganda material concerning any political party pasted on their walls.

While the ECI has issued strict instructions regarding the conduct of poll duties, the instructions issued by the ECI state that if any electoral registration officer or any other persons required to conduct any official duty regarding the preparation, revision or correction or electoral rolls is without reasonable cause, found guilty of any act of omission or breach during the duty, that person shall be liable to imprisonment.

While three teachers have already been suspended in Ludhiana for negligence in the conduct of electoral duties, guidelines have also been issued to all staff on election duty that any disobeyance to phone calls calling staff for duties or any staff preventingelection staff in the smooth conduct of their duties shall also be liable to action.

Before the fresh instructions regarding not to hold school functions, the Director (SE) had also previously written to all CEOs and DEOs not to implement any pending orders regarding appoint-ments/adjustments/regularisation/transfers and attendance timings at schools, nor to carry out any joining or relieving of employees while the code was in place.

Barring this, the education department has also issued instructions to all DEOs not to leave station or depute staff on deputation at offices during the code of conduct.

The DEOs have also been ordered not to clear any paternity or foreign visit leaves of their staff.