JAJPUR: The Jajpur district education officer (DEO) on Saturday has stopped the salary of the headmaster of a government school under Bari block in the district for sleeping in an inebriated state during class hours in the school. Besides, the district education authorities have started initiating a departmental proceeding against the accused headmaster, official sources said.
Sources said the headmaster of Ratnagiri high school, Prakash Mallik used to remain absent from the school without informing his higher authorities. He also allegedly came to school drunk many times. After students and guardians complained and brought this to the notice of the DEO, the latter ordered an inquiry into it. The ADEO Rajesh Kumar Swain along with Bari block education officer (BEO) Sudarshan Mallik visited the school and initiated an inquiry against the accused headmaster in March this year.
Despite warning by the district authorities not to come to school drunk and to refrain from such inappropriate conduct, the headmaster did not change his habit. Jajpur DEO Ranjan Kumar Giri swung into action after the students of Ratnagiri high school demanded immediate transfer of the headmaster of their school, Prakash Mallik after locking the school main gate on Friday. The agitating students took the step after a video of their headmaster napping in an inebriated state went viral on social media.
In July, a video of the headmaster sleeping on the carton of a liquor company in a drunken state had surfaced fuelling resentment among locals about the state of affairs in the school.Three days back, another video of the headmaster sleeping in an inebriated state during class hours in the school and one of the guardians counselling him to refrain from such inappropriate conduct made rounds in social media. The video clip led to outrage among parents and students with the latter resorting to locking up the school gate demanding immediate transfer of the headmaster. Giri said he has initiated a departmental proceeding against the headmaster and steps are being taken to replace him.