Agencies

Jammu, May 12:

Authorities in Jammu and Kashmirs Kishtwar district withheld salaries of five government teachers for being absent from duty and ordered two inquiries against them, officials said.

Four teachers of government middle school Kiyar-Dacchan and one teacher of government high school� Changer-Marwah were reported absent, they said.

 Taking serious note of the complaints, they said District Development Commissioner (DDC) Kishtwar, Angrez Singh Rana, withheld the salaries of all five teachers for remaining absent from duty, pending inquiry.

Angrez directed the Kishtwar Chief Education Officer to conduct in-depth inquiries into the matter and recommend stern action against the defaulters, if found any, as warranted under article 128 of Civil Service Rules. The rule reads that unauthorised absence of government employee amounts to loss of appointment.

The absentee teachers included Rahul Parihar, Jyoti Balla, Mashqoor Ahmed and Akhtar of government middle school Kiyar and Sajjad Husain Tapal of government high school, Changer.

The officials said sub-divisional magistrate Marwah yesterday inspected Changer school following complaints against Tapal and found him absent.

It was found that he had not joined work after school opened in March following winter vacation, they said.

Likewise, the four teachers of Kiyar school were also reported absent over the past few months.

The complainants alleged that there were seven teachers posted in the school, out of which only one teacher was doing his duty well, the officials said.