Dy Director in soup over ‘magic’ plan to boost CM relief fund

Education Minister Rohit Thakur has scuttled the plan of Deputy Director, Elementary Education, Hamirpur, to boost the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund through magic. Not only the Deputy Director’s plan stands withdrawn but the minister has also issued orders to seek his explanation for the ‘magical’ move. “It’s alright to host magic shows in the schools but he has acted in an irresponsible manner in sending out the letter. The letter has been withdrawn, and we have sought explanation from the deputy director,” the minister said.

In the letter that went viral on social media today, the Deputy Director gave permission to a magician to conduct magic shows in schools on the condition that the latter would deposit 30 per cent of the revenue he would generate from these shows in the CM Relief Fund and Disaster Management Fund. Apart from hosting magic shows, the deputy director also directed the magician to raise awareness against superstition, hoarding and schemes like ‘beti bachao, beti padhao’ etc.

As soon as the letter was released, it went viral on social media, with people taking potshot at the government for “showing magic to schoolchildren to fill up its coffers”. When the matter came to the notice of the Education Minister, he immediately issued orders to withdraw the letter. According to a senior official in the education department, the deputy director took the initiative on his own. “He has become deputy director just a while back, and lacks administrative experience,” the official said.