Muzaffarpur, Sept. 26: The decision of the Election Commission of India (ECI) to engage teachers in the election duty has not received a welcome response from Bihar University Service Teachers Association (Busta).

Busta of Bhim Rao Ambedkar Bihar University is demanding exemption from the election duty for teachers working in postgraduate departments and the constituent colleges under the university. The association has expressed serious discontent over the decision of the district election officer (DEO)-cum-district magistrate Anand Kishore for seeking names of teachers from the registrar of the university to involve them in the election duty for the forthcoming Assembly polls.

According to Busta, since the teachers enjoyed political freedom there was no denying that most of the teachers were members of different political parties.

Thus, the teachers cannot conduct election in an impartial manner, the fax from Busta to ECI read. Busta besides this has also raked up the issue of teachers getting higher salary, after a revised pay scale, compared to DEO.

“At present, the teachers’ payscale ranges between Rs 37,000 and Rs 67,000. It is not practical to appoint teachers as patrolling magistrates, sector officers and presiding officers to conduct elections. It is painful that university and college teachers are equated with the clerical cadres’ post while assigning election duty. Teachers should be given assignment on the basis of their pay scale and seniority,” Busta general secretary Arun Kumar Singh said.

Registrar of the university Vibhas Kumar Yadav told The Telegraph that he has received a letter from the DEO in which he has been asked to send the names of postgraduate department teachers and also of those of the constituent colleges after duly filling up a format provided for the same. For the first time, the ECI has provided a multi-column format and directed the heads of the respective government departments to furnish names and details of the employees in it. The registrar has also instructed the principals of constituent colleges to forward names of the teachers on the directives of the DEO, on time.

Arun Kumar Singh in the wake of preparedness of the DEO to involve teachers in the election assignments met the vice-chancellor of the university Rajdev Prasad Singh. The general secretary showed discontent over the decision of the DEO to engage teachers in the election duty. He requested the VC to oppose the move of the DEO.

Meanwhile, in a bid to vent ire over the decision of the ECI, Busta has given a clarion call to the teachers not to participate in any election-related training programme. It has also sent a fax to the ECI, the state electoral officer, the divisional commissioner (Tirhut) and the DEO, Muzaffarpur describing political affiliation of teachers on a large scale.

No participation

Busta demanded exemption from election duty for teachers working in postgraduate departments and constituent colleges under Bhim Rao Ambedkar Bihar University

Busta demanded teachers should be given assignment on the basis of their pay scale and seniority

The association has expressed discontent over the decision of the district election officer for seeking names of teachers from the registrar of the university to involve them in the election duty

Busta argued that teachers would not be able to conduct election in a partial manner

The reason being most of the teachers were members of different political parties

Busta besides this has also raked up the issue of teachers getting higher salary compared to the DEO

It said that it is not practical to appoint teachers as patrolling magistrates, sector officers and presiding officers to conduct elections