Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot and his government were embarrassed when he asked whether government teachers in the state had to pay bribes for their transfer between schools.
“We hear sometimes money has to be paid for transfers. I don’t know if it is true… Is the money paid?” Ashok Gehlot asked at a state-level function to honour teachers on Tuesday.
“Yes” was the collective response from the teachers present at the event.
“It is very painful that teachers are eager to get transfers done by paying money,” said a surprised Gehlot. “If there is a policy on transfers, everyone will come to know when they are to be transferred. Then there will be no circulation of money and need of an MLA to give his recommendation,” he said.
The Rajasthan chief minister added that the issue of transfer policy is serious and it should be made in such a way so that there is no heartburn.
State school education minister Govind Singh Dotasra later said any minor malpractice should be reported to him, adding Gehlot wanted to indicate that people should not be forced to pay money.
“This will be totally ended with the implementation of a policy for the transfer of teachers under my and chief minister’s leadership,” Dotasra said on Tuesday.
However, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) reacted sharply to bribes being paid by government teachers in Rajasthan by saying that educators have shown the corrupt face of the Ashok Gehlot government to everyone.
“Teachers are the mirror of society, who can never lie,” deputy leader of opposition in the assembly Rajendra Rathore tweeted.
In recent months, the Congress-led government in Rajasthan has faced flak over a cheating scandal right before the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers (REET) in September.
The exam was held amid tight security and mobile internet services were suspended in some districts including Jaipur to avoid cheating.