AHMEDABAD: A native of Gujarat, Bhavna Patel is a government primary school teacher as per government records. But she lives in the US and draws her monthly salary back home without fulfilling her duties. A few such cases have come to light lately wherein proxies were found serving instead of those on the payroll.
This could well be a tip of the iceberg.
Bhavna Patel, as per records, serves as a teacher at Banaskantha primary school. She is a native of Panchha village in Danta taluka. It has come to light that her monthly salary is credited into her account every month while she lives in the US and visits her village once a year during Diwali.
The case of Bhavna Patel came to light when the acting principal of the school alerted the district primary education officer, the education department, and the education minister in writing. In response, the education department has ordered an investigation and mandated appropriate action.
Minister of State for Education Prafulla Panseria sounded defensive while commenting on the case. He said: "The salary of the teacher residing abroad has not been disbursed since January 1, 2024. The teacher has been on intermittent leave. An inquiry will be conducted to review the situation and appropriate action taken."
State Government spokesperson Minister Rishikesh Patel said, "We will conduct a thorough investigation, examining everything from the passport office records to the attendance sheets. This issue will be fully transparent, and a comprehensive inquiry will be carried out."
Following the revelation of the case in in Danta taluka, two additional cases have emerged in Kapadvanj and Vav talukas.
Ashish Patel, a teacher at Wata Shivpura Primary School in Kapadvanj, and Darshan Patel, a teacher at Uchpa village primary school in Vav, have both been found absent and neglecting their duties for an extended period.
Both have been drawing their monthly salaries. It has come to light that a proxy teacher named Vijay has been teaching the students in place of Ashish Patel.
When media persons visited the school Vijay managed to flee the place. The school principal Arjan Rathore claimed ignorance of the situation. Kapadvanj Taluka Development Officer Mahipat Chauhan, upon learning of the issue, ordered a thorough investigation and appropriate action.
Darshan Patel, a primary school teacher from Uchpa village in Vav taluka, has been residing in Canada for the past two years. Yet he remains on the payroll. Local villagers claim that no action has been taken against Patel due to possible backing of authorities in the education department. Uchpa Primary School Principal B B Barot confirmed that Patel has been absent since November 10, 2022, without authorized leave, and that repeated notifications have gone unaddressed.
Similarly, Kavita Das, a primary school teacher at Ranchodpura village in Kadi taluka, Mehsana district, has been missing from her post for over nine months, reflecting a troubling pattern of absenteeism across the state.
Dr. Sharad Trivedi, the Mehsana District Primary Education Officer, stated, "Kavita Das, a teacher from Ranchodpura Primary School, went abroad with the education department's permission, which was initially granted for a period of three months. Notices have been issued twice for her non-appearance beyond this period. If she fails to respond to these notices, action will be taken against her in accordance with the rules."