Delhi Government issues show cause notices to teachers

The Delhi government has deployed the school teachers at several places including makeshift hospitals, data recording of vaccines and oxygen, crematorium grounds to keep a tab and maintain data daily on the number of people infected with Covid-19 and people losing their battle against the virus infection.

New Delhi: Even as the government school teachers have been assigned various jobs to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic, the Delhi government is now giving "double trauma" to its teachers by sending them show-cause notices for not reporting to work despite testing positive for coronavirus.

The Delhi government has deployed the school teachers at several places including makeshift hospitals, data recording of vaccines and oxygen, crematorium grounds to keep a tab and maintain data daily on the number of people infected with Covid-19 and people losing their battle against the virus infection.

About 90 teachers were asked by South East SDM, BL Meena on April 20 to report for work at his office.

The April 20 order which has been seen by the media said that all the teachers should report to their concerned SDM office on April 22 and the SDM office will assign them duties as per demand.

"Now therefore in exercise of powers conferred upon district authority under various provisions of disaster management act, 2005, read with the Delhi Epidemic diseases Covid 19 regulations, 2020 district authority, District (South East) hereby requisition the 90 officials or officers," Meena's letter read.

"The officers are hereby directed to report for duties on April 22 at 11 am in this office without waiting for any formal relieving from their department, non-compliance will be viewed seriously and shall attract action under the provisions of Acts/Regulations," it further said.

The letter stated that 'this issues with the prior approval of District Magistrate (South East) chairperson of DDMA (South East)'.

However, some of the teachers who were posted by the SDM at various places tested positive for Covid-19 before the issuance of the order on April 20.

Sabina (name changed), who is a teacher at the Delhi government school in South East Delhi, is among the eight to nine teachers who have received the notice from the SDM.

Speaking to the media, she said that her family members had tested positive for Covid. She also tested positive for Covid-19 a few days later.

"Soon after testing positive for Covid-19, I informed my head of school (HOS), the District Magistrate and the SDM on their email IDs with the Covid-19 report as an attachment.

"However, I didn't get any reply from the SDM or DM office," she said, adding that on the contrary, she received a notice issued on April 27 to give a written reply within three days or else action will be taken.

The notice issued by SDM South East, which has been viewed by media read, "And whereas, it has come to notice that you have not reported for duty."

"It has been viewed seriously and accordingly, it is hereby directed to show cause as to why action should not be taken against you for dereliction of duties.

"A written reply in the matter should reach the undersigned within three days from the issuance of this notice failing which it shall be presumed that he/she has nothing to say in the matter and necessary action shall be taken against him/her including discontinuation of service/disciplinary action or action under DDMA Act, 2005," the notice by Meena read.

The media has viewed more than 10 such notices across Delhi which have been issued to several teachers. The school teachers said that after the government decided to close schools, the teachers were deployed for other work by the district authority. And even after submitting their report, they are being traumatised by the SDM office with such show cause notices.

(IANS)