Remove non-Bodo teachers: BSS

Appointment anomalies in Bodo schools; neglect to Bodo departments in GU, DU

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Sept 13: A team of the Bodo Sahitya Sabha (BSS) met State Education Minister Himata Biswa Sarma on Tuesday with the demand of eradicating, what it said, the anomalies on the appointment of lower primary and upper primary teachers through TET in Bodo medium schools.

The BSS delegation told the minister that a number of candidates without any knowledge of the Bodo language were appointed as teachers in Bodo medium schools.

The BSS demanded the minister to appoint candidates with fair knowledge of the Bodo language as teachers in Bodo medium schools. The BSS, however, made it clear that while removing the non-Bodo candidates appointed as teachers in Bodo medium schools it should be seen that the posts are abolished so as to fill them with fresh and eligible Bodo candidates.

According to BSS sources, over 100 non-Bodos have been appointed as teachers in Bodo medium schools in four districts – Dhemaji, Lakhimpur, Sonitpur and Goalpara. Around 80 such non-Bodo teachers have been appointed in Bodo medium schools in Sonitpur district alone in the first week of September, the source said, and added: “This isn’t the first such anomaly in the appointment of non-Bodo candidates in Bodo medium schools. In June last we did meet the Education Minister with such incidents. He assured us that he would remove the teachers elsewhere within one month and a half. However, instead of removing the non-Bodo teachers from Bodo medium schools he has appointed more such teachers.”

“This is the case in lower education. The department has been neglecting Bodo institutions in higher education as well. The government did assure us of releasing Rs 1 crore annually each to Gauhati University and Dibrugarh University for the uplift of infrastructure of Bodo departments. However, the promised amounts have not been released as yet,” the source said, and added: “The Bodo department was set up in 1996 in Gauhati University. The building of the department was erected by the BTC, not the State Government. In fact, the State Government hasn’t spent a single paisa for the development of Bodo department in the university. Same is the case with Dibrugarh University. The building of Bodo department in Dibrugarh University was erected by the BTC spending Rs 3.50 crore. Dispur hasn’t spent a single paisa for that. The government doesn’t even feel the necessity of creating posts in the department.”