Kolar government school teachers suspended for supplying textbooks to private institutions

Following complaints from parents and students studying in Government schools that the textbooks have not been distributed even two months after the beginning of the academic year, Kolar Zilla Panchayat CEO Latha Kumari held a surprise inspection on August 31 to the godowns belonging to the education department in Kolar to find undistributed textbooks piled up. Also, the teachers who were responsible for distributing them were selling them to private institutions.

Upon finding this, she had suspended Venkat Ramanappa and Srinivas M, teachers at GHPS Shanubhoganahalli. After a detailed inquiry and questioning students at the school, Latha Kumari had asked the officials to file an FIR against Ramanappa. "This has been happening for a long time. Whenever children or their parents enquired about textbooks, they were told that the stock has not arrived.I will also write a letter to Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education, Karnataka to take stringent action against the BEO," she said. She also added that a month ago, Ramanappa was transferred to Srinivaspura Government School but he continued to stay and work as an Education Co-ordinator in Block Education Office in Kolar despite receiving an order copy from the Government.

K Rathnaiah, Deputy Director of Public Instruction, Kolar District said, "As per the priority, textbooks have to be distributed to the Government schools, Residential schools, and Aided institutions. The institutions like Morarji Desai, Maulana Azad, and other residential schools were not given textbooks. Also, during review meetings, we received so many letters from parents and teachers working there. The Block Education Officer Raghunath Reddy has been summoned to my office for further probe."