School principal away for months, activists in Puducherry seek penal action
PUDUCHERRY: The Federation for People’s Rights (FPR) has urged the government to appoint a new principal for VOC Government High School, citing the long absence of the current principal.
In a statement, federation secretary G Sugumaran spoke about the ongoing administrative turmoil at the school and asked for immediate government intervention. He highlighted the plight of students as the school principal, Garima Tyagi, has been away for a long time. This adversely affects their academic progress and causes chaos within the management.
The Puducherry government handed over the renovated VOC school building to the education department more than a month back but it has not been put to use. “The principal’s frequent leaves, often without adherence to regulations, have left the school’s administrative affairs in disarray,” he said
Principal Tyagi’s childcare leaves, are allegedly beyond the permissible limit of thrice a year and have led to temporary administrative handover to the vice principal of Subramania Bharatiyar School, which further complicates the issue, said Sugumaran.
The principal has taken leave for more than one year in her five-year service and in 2019 alone, she has availed more than 200 days of leave, he alleged. Moreover, there are allegations that unresolved tax deductions from pensioners’ arrears are accumulating in the principal’s account instead of being remitted to the Income Tax department. This negligence has resulted in penalties for retired staff members, he said.
Parents are concerned about their kids’ future and said there is a noticeable decline in discipline among the students. Questions arise regarding the sudden transfer of the vice principal, casting doubt on potential ulterior motives or influences within the school’s internal affairs. The Federation called upon the education minister, secretary of education, and director of school education to take immediate action.