Pottangi: Teachers of 13 cluster schools under this block in Koraput district are allegedly under pressure and threats from cluster resource center coordinators (CRCCs) to procure uniforms from a particular garment outlet.
There are 192 primary and upper primary schools and 11 ST/SC department run centers under Pottangi block education officer, and over 19,000 students from these schools require uniforms, shoes and other stationaries.
Investigation reveals the shop owner named ‘Acharya’ has supplied uniforms to schools of Pukali, Talagolur, Ampabali, Ralegada and Chandaka panchayats. Also the particular outlet does not have any government directive favouring this shop in particular.
Locals thus wished to know how only this garment shop is able to supply the dress materials and is planning to further the business in all schools under block 13.
When asked, the owner of the shop, Srikant Acharya got agitated and refrained from conversations asking for proof for the allegations.
Thus the correspondent contacted block education officer (BEO) Suranjan Bag, who said, he was not aware of any such directive to the particular shop to supply dress materials to schools under Pukali, Talagolur, Ampabali, Ralegada and Chandaka panchayats.
Coordinator of Pedagoji under district Sarva Siksha Abhiyan Chandrakala Bagarti says, “No shop has been asked to supply uniforms to any schools. In this regard the standing government directive is that, teachers or headmasters and chairmen of management committees decide and select the outlets. And, upon purchase, they have to give the written UC to the district administration through CRCCs.
The issue has come to light and further investigation is under process, he added.
PNN