Puri District Education Department Takes Strict Action Against 72 School Headmasters
The Puri district education department has initiated disciplinary action against 72 government school headmasters by withholding their January salaries. This decisive move comes as a consequence of their failure to submit mandatory utilisation certificates related to crucial student safety awareness programmes.
Official Order Issued for Salary Withholding
An official order released on Thursday confirmed that the concerned headmasters will not receive their January salaries due to non-compliance with reporting requirements. District Education Officer Deepak Kumar Padhee stated that instructions have been formally communicated to the respective schools through official letters, emphasizing the seriousness of the matter.
Safety Awareness Programmes and Fund Allocation
According to Padhee, schools across the district had been instructed to organize specialized awareness programmes focusing on two critical safety areas:
- Lightning Safety: Each school received Rs 2,000 specifically for conducting lightning awareness activities
- Snakebite First Aid: Schools were allocated Rs 2,500 for organizing snakebite awareness programmes
The submission of utilisation certificates documenting how these funds were spent was made mandatory upon completion of the programmes, ensuring transparency and accountability in public fund utilization.
Repeated Reminders and Missed Deadlines
Despite multiple reminders from education authorities and the passing of established deadlines, numerous schools failed to submit the required expenditure reports. This persistent non-compliance forced the department to take disciplinary action, highlighting the administration's commitment to enforcing accountability measures.
Breakdown of Affected Schools by Programme Type
The salary withholding affects headmasters across different blocks of Puri district, with specific breakdowns for each safety programme:
Lightning Awareness Programme Non-Compliance (38 Schools):
- Brahmagiri block: 1 school
- Delang block: 3 schools
- Gop block: 7 schools
- Kanas block: 6 schools
- Kakatpur block: 2 schools
- Krushnaprasad block: 2 schools
- Nimapada block: 7 schools
- Puri Sadar block: 9 schools
- Satyabadi block: 1 school
Snakebite Awareness Programme Non-Compliance (34 Schools):
- Delang block: 1 school
- Gop block: 4 schools
- Kakatpur block: 5 schools
- Kanas block: 5 schools
- Krushnaprasad block: 3 schools
- Nimapada block: 7 schools
- Pipili block: 1 school
- Puri Sadar block: 8 schools
Ensuring Accountability and Programme Effectiveness
District Education Officer Padhee emphasized that this disciplinary action serves a dual purpose. First, it ensures proper accountability in the utilization of public funds allocated for student welfare initiatives. Second, it reinforces the importance of effectively implementing critical safety awareness programmes that directly impact student well-being.
The move underscores the administration's commitment to maintaining transparency in educational governance while prioritizing student safety through structured awareness initiatives.
