In a heartrending situation, a government primary school teacher with a 104-year-old bedridden mother, has been unsuccessful for the fourth time in getting a transfer she desperately needs to be close to her ailing parent.
It is said that even a recommendation letter from Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s son Rakesh did not help her. Padma (52), the in-charge head mistress of the Government Primary School at Alanahalli in H D Kote taluk, has been serving in the same taluk for the last 24 years.
A resident of Vidyaranyapuram in Mysore, she commutes daily to the school, which is about 35 km away.
“I am finding it extremely difficult to take care of my mother and manage my job. I have to take her to the doctor for check-ups twice a week. My case is a fit one to give transfer on medical grounds and also on humanitarian grounds,” said Padma. However, the last date for transfers done in a centralised manner was last Monday.
“Even if the CM himself asks us, we cannot do a transfer now,’’ an education official said.
For two decades, she has done the travel without a murmur or complaint. But things changed for her six years ago, when her mother Channamma became bedridden.
Padma, wife of a local temple archak Sridhar Vittal, sought a transfer to Mysore in 2007, under the medical quota. But the authorities turned down her application, stating that she has not “attached the photograph of her ailing mother with the application.”
The next two times, she was told that an ailing mother is not a valid reason for transfer.
A BEO told Express: “As per the rules, only an ailing spouse or child is a valid reason.”
The fourth time, she says tried online via local education officials under a category called “other ladies” which includes people serving in the same place for a long duration.
This was also turned down, though Padma is not aware if the application was made appropriately or successfully. Padma sees to it that her mother had her bed pan and her lunch ready before she daily leaves home at 8 am for work.
When at work, her mind is mostly at home. She calls a neighbour on her cell phone at least thrice a day to make sure that her mother is alright.
But though she appointed many caretakers for her mother, they did not stick to the job for even a few weeks. Channamma has lost her vision and is not mentally sound because of her age, according to Padma. (With inputs from Bharath Joshi in Bangalore)