2 days ago
Education officers call off stir after govt assurances on Shalarth ID arrests
Pune: The state-wide agitation announced by the All Maharashtra Education Service Gazetted Officers and Employees Union has been temporarily called off after the state government assured that no innocent officers or employees would face wrongful arrest in the ongoing Shalarth ID fraud probe. All Maharashtra Education Service Gazetted Officers and Employees Union called off state-wide agitation after the state assured that no innocent officers or employees would face wrongful arrest in Shalarth ID fraud probe. (HT)
The 'mass leave' agitation, which began on August 8, was initiated to protest what the union described as arbitrary arrests of education department officers and staff in various districts without proper investigation. The Shalarth ID fraud, involving alleged irregularities in the department's salary and service record management system, has prompted a wave of arrests by the police across the state in the recent weeks.
On August 12, school education minister Dada Bhuse and education department principal secretary Ranjitsingh Deol met with union office-bearers to discuss their demands. Following what the union described as a 'positive response', the agitation was suspended with immediate effect. Key assurances given by the government included no officer or employee will be arrested without prior investigation. All cases related to bogus Shalarth entries, including those in the Nagpur division, will be handed over to the special inquiry committee constituted by the state government. Officers suspended in connection with the fraud will be reinstated to service after due police department will be officially informed, at the government level, about the union's demands and concerns.
The union stated that the minister and principal secretary had firmly assured that 'no innocent officer or employee will face wrongful action'.
Jyoti Parihar of the union said, 'We have been protesting for the past few weeks. Finally, the education minister has given us an assurance that he will look into the matter and has accepted our demands. However, if this does not happen in the coming days, we will resume our protest.'
While the agitation has been suspended, the union has warned that if any arrest is carried out in violation of these assurances in the future, the protest will be resumed without prior notice.
The union has appealed to all gazetted officers and employees of the education service to resume duty from August 13.
