Salaries of 7 teachers held back

BALASORE: Salaries of seven teachers in the district were stopped by School and Mass Education Secretary Aparajita Sarangi on Tuesday for alleged dereliction of duty. She took the step after making surprise visits to a number of schools in Nilagiri and Remuna blocks.Sources said the salaries of five assistant teachers and the headmaster of Kathapal High School were stopped for an indefinite period as the Secretary found discrepancies in the distribution of mid-day meal for the  past eight months.  Similarly, the salary of a teacher of Udas Jamuna High School was stopped as he was found not following the dress code. Sarangi said she had a plan to cover at least 70 schools in the district on her two-day visit. “We have formed separate teams to make surprise visits. Our aim is to see whether the government schemes and instructions are being properly implemented or not,” she said.  Sarangi will conduct a review meeting with the district-level officials on Wednesday.