Murshidabad, Dec. 25: A primary school teacher in Nadia reported for work every day for a year, but only according to the staff register.

Sujoy Pal came to school, signed the book and went away, to attend BEd classes.

The bunking and the BEd served him well. Pal cleared the School Service Commission examination and bagged a job in a Murshidabad high school. Three months ago, he quit Senpara Radharani School in Nadia.

Pal was a “para teacher” at the primary school. Engaged on contract by the government, he was supposed to take classes for four days a week.

He was diligent, in collecting the monthly “honorarium” of Rs 3,500, and signing the register, for which he came once a week. “I used to come to school once a week or a month and sign the attendance register for the period I used to be absent.” Pal admitted.

His arrangement had worked out smoothly, thanks to the benevolence of school managing committee secretary Nandadulal Biswas and teacher-in-charge Banshiram Biswas. “They had given me a verbal assurance that I could pursue my course at Simurali BEd College (about 110km from the school in Karimpur) as a regular student,” he said.

Candidates with BEd get 5 marks extra in the school service exam. Asked if it had ever pricked his conscience to have fooled so many children, Pal said: “I realise it was wrong. I’m prepared to return the entire money.” But what about the class days the children lost? He had no answer.

Pal’s conduct came to light when five members of the Senpara primary school’s managing committee filed a complaint with Nadia district magistrate Onkar Singh Meena. But what were they doing all this while? There comes a political twist.

The complainants are Congress members who recently beat the CPM representatives in the polls to the six-member school managing committee. Managing committee secretary Nandadulal and the teacher-in-charge are pro-CPM. “Sujoy Pal was good in studies. He could complete his BEd with some assistance from our side. It’s true that some irregularities had been committed. But that brightened Sujoy’s career,” Banshiram said.

Nadia district inspector of schools Anil Pramanik said the school managing committee cannot be party to such “illegal and irresponsible acts’’.

Pal’s conduct will be probed, Pramanik said. The district magistrate has ordered a separate inquiry.