Principals being forced to implement staff roster
Nishikant Khajuria
JAMMU, May 11: Because of apparent chaos and too many power centres at administrative level, offices of some Government Degree Colleges today started functioning with enforcement of duty roster for staff members notwithstanding the General Administration Department’s clear order for closure of all educational institutions till May 31 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
More ironic is the fact that campuses of maximum of these colleges have already been turned into quarantine centres for isolation of the suspected patients of COVID-19 and thus staff members of these institutions of higher education were highly disturbed over possible risk to their lives on attending the duties.
Despite Government order number 544-JK(GAD) of 2020, dated 08-05-2020, issued in continuation to the Government order number 477-JK(GAD) of 2020, dated 17-04-2020, read with Government order number 525-JK(GAD) of 2020, dated 03-05-2020, which clearly states that all the Educational Institutions/Training Institutes in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall remain closed till May 31, 2020, teaching staff members of a number of colleges were forced to attended their respective institutions today.
Offices in GGM Science College Jammu, Government College for Women Udhampur, GDC Rajouri, GDC Poonch, GDC Samba, GDC Doda etc started functioning today and the staff members were called as per the roster prepared and submitted to the Secretary Higher Education, sources told the Excelsior.
Among these college , campuses of GCW Udhampur, GDC Doda, GDC Rajouri and GDC Poonch have already been declared as quarantine centres.
“We were told by the higher authorities through telephonic messages and WhatsApp groups to start functioning the colleges as per the earlier order of Higher Education Department, dated May 6 and also enforce the roster prepared for teaching as well as non-teaching staff,” said a Principal on the condition of anonymity.
Caught between deep sea and the devil, the Principals and staff of these Government colleges are hence left with no option other than to re-open offices of the respective institutions and thus risking their lives besides inviting trouble for themselves.
Some staff members of the GDC Rajouri were today reportedly detained by policemen for violation of the lockdown when they were coming out of the college. They were, however, released later on with a strict warning.
Pertinent to mention that on May 6, the Department of Higher Education had ordered opening of all colleges and universities across the Union Territory with immediate effect without resuming class work. As per this order, the offices of Vice Chancellors, including Head of Departments and Principals of Government Degree Colleges of Higher Education Department and Principals of Polytechnic Colleges and ITIs of Technical Education Department across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall start functioning from May 6 with minimum 30 percent staff strength on rotation basis.
The order further said that Principals of respective Institutions shall draw duty roster of teaching staff to start pending work of evaluation/assessment, virtual class-work, lab work, curriculum development, scholarships and other activities assigned by the Principal of their institutions. “Similarly, duty roster of non-teaching staff on rotation basis shall also be drawn to start routine official work as assigned by the controlling officer of the institution. Research Scholars are also permitted to start their activities in the lab while strictly observing the COVID-19 protocol,” said the order.
Since this order of Higher Education Department was in clear violation of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs’ guidelines on the measures to be taken by Government authorities for containment of COVID-19 in the country for the extended period of national lockdown, the General Administration Department of J&K UT Government issued another order on May 8, according to which, all educational institutions/training institutes in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir shall remain closed till May 31.
However, despite the GAD order on closure of educational institutions, the authorities in Higher Education Department allegedly circulated messages to the College Principals to adhere to its earlier direction of May 6 and prepare the duty roster besides implementing the same.
In view of the intentionally created confusion for the reasons best known to the persons at the helm of affairs, the College staff members are at trouble and have urged the Lt Governor G C Murmu as well as Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam to issue necessary instruction for a clarification in this regard.
When contacted, Secretary Higher Education, Talat Parvez Rahulla said that the arrangement has been made as per requirement of non-teaching functions and examination assessment duties besides infrastructure development, equipment procurement and like to be undertaken, under COVID protocols.
However, he added, no teaching or student activity will be undertaken till May 31.
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