Sajid Raina
Srinagar, Mar 21: The Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK) has launched an in-depth inquiry into the ‘unauthorized absence’ of a Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teacher at Primary School Aragam in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.
The teacher (Arsullah Habib) has not fulfilled his teaching duties for the past 21 years, instead securing non-teaching assignments at the Chief Education Officer’s (CEO) Office and the Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) Office in Bandipora.
Despite being appointed as a teacher under the ReT scheme in 2004, Habib has allegedly never been present in the classroom. Instead, he secured attachments to government offices, drawing an annual salary of rupees 13 lakh while students in his designated school remained without a teacher.
Shockingly, he was even sent for a B.Ed. training program in 2021, a move meant to improve his teaching skills—which he never applied in a classroom.
Local residents claim they rarely see him at the school. “He appeared briefly in March this year and later disappeared again,” said a villager.
What has further angered the community is how Habib managed to remain in administrative roles despite government orders to relieve all deputed teachers from non-teaching duties. While other teachers were sent back to schools, Habib was instead assigned as a coordinator for an IEC anti-drug campaign under the DC Bandipora’s office, ensuring he stayed away from teaching.
Following public outrage, DSEK has appointed Joint Director (North) Hakeem Tanveer to investigate how Habib evaded classroom duties for over two decades.
A preliminary joint report from the District Vigilance Officer and Deputy Chief Education Officer, Bandipora, has revealed that the matter requires an in-depth investigation to determine how Habib managed to evade teaching for over two decades.
The DSEK has appointed Joint Director (North), as the Inquiry Officer to probe the issue. He has been directed to submit a detailed report with recommendations within ten days to facilitate further action against the teacher and any officials who may have aided his prolonged absence.
