Buxar Headmasters Decry Unpaid Reimbursements for Government Educational Tours
Significant discontent is brewing among 463 headmasters of government middle and high schools in Buxar district, who claim they have not been reimbursed for educational tours conducted in March under the Mukhyamantri Shaikshanik Paribhraman Yojana. This government scheme aimed to enhance student exposure by organizing visits to tourist and historical sites, with an allocation of Rs20,000 per school.
Financial Burden on Headmasters
Officials had directed all middle and high schools to organize these educational visits, but headmasters allege they had to bear the expenses themselves following instructions from the district programme officer for accounts and planning, Chandan Dwivedi. Despite submitting all required documents, including detailed bills and compliance reports, the funds have not yet been released. This has placed a substantial financial strain on the headmasters, who expected timely reimbursement as per the scheme's guidelines.
Additional Payment Delays in Dumraon Block
In a related issue, payments for parents-teachers meeting funds for the year 2024 remain pending for 45 schools in the Dumraon block. A headmaster from Nandan village alleged that a dealing clerk is deliberately delaying files and holding up these essential payments, further exacerbating the financial challenges faced by educational institutions in the region.
Departmental Actions and Suspensions
Teachers have also expressed anger over departmental actions against some schools for non-compliance with the tour directives. For instance, Bagahi Middle School in the Itarhi block was issued a notice for not organizing the educational tour. After authorities found the explanations of three teachers—Chunmun Lal, Vimlesh Kumar, and Ajay Kumar Rai—unsatisfactory, they were suspended and attached to the Chaugai Block Resource Centre during the suspension period.
Pashupati Nath Singh, the Dumraon block president of the Secondary Teachers’ Association, criticized these suspensions, calling them arbitrary and unjust, given the broader context of payment delays and administrative hurdles.
Official Response and Recent Developments
District education officer for Buxar, Sandeep Ranjan, stated that Rs20,000 each was released to 433 middle and high schools on Friday. However, this announcement has done little to alleviate the concerns of the headmasters, who point out that many schools still await reimbursement, and the issue of pending PTM funds remains unresolved.
The situation highlights ongoing administrative challenges in implementing government educational schemes effectively, with headmasters and teachers calling for more transparent and timely processes to ensure that such initiatives do not become burdensome for those tasked with their execution.
