Exempt teaching, non- teaching staff from poll duties: Govt to DEOs

Team Herald

PANJIM: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant has asked both the District Election Officers (DEOs) to exempt staff of Directorate of Education (DoE) from election duties. 

There has been a pressing demand from both, teaching and non-teaching staff of schools to exempt them from election duties. 

Education Department sources informed that since the Department is presently facing staff shortage, the Director of Education has reportedly recommended exempting teachers from poll duties. The Director is learnt to have written to the DEOs of both the districts to implement the same. The DEOs in turn have written to the Education Department seeking report on the number of staff deployed for election duties and other related details. 

Come elections, a sizeable number of both – teaching and non-teaching staff is assigned Block Level Officer (BLO) duties, which puts a strain and hampers the regular functioning of the department as well as regular classes. 

The DEOs will soon take a call on exempting the teachers as requested by the Directorate of Education. 

When asked, Director of Education Shailesh Zingde said that decisions taken in this matter will be officially conveyed later.