BENGALURU: Cutting across party lines, members of the Upper House criticised senior IAS officer P Manivannan for threatening to suspend teachers of Morarji Desai residential schools if they go on strike.
Manivannan is the Principal Secretary to Social Welfare Department and Morarji Desai residential schools come under this department.
The teachers of the residential schools have been demanding higher salaries and better facilities. They were planning to go on a strike during the next weekend. On getting information about the proposed strike on Friday, Manivannan, in a group of a mobile app, had instructed his officials to videograph teachers who participate in the strike, check their attendance and suspend them. By offering a salary of `12,000 a month, they could run the schools with guest teachers.
Replying to the House, Social Welfare Minister Anjaneya said there was no intention to suspend the teachers. “Since the schools have reopened, he (Manivannan) was concerned about the students. The teachers should be in classes teaching students. However, since members have demanded his statement to be withdrawn, he shall take the statement back,” he said.