Panic spread among teachers in the district after rebels directed them to perform their duties properly to create a positive educational atmosphere in primary and middle schools.

Top ranking police officers, however, said this was just a conspiracy to extort levy from the government teachers.

These teachers had been avoiding going to school, especially those in rural areas, citing fear of the rebels, but now they have started attending regularly.

Area commander, Jhajha sub-zonal committee of CPI(Maoist), Pintu Rana, said the organisation had decided to monitor the government primary and middle schools in the remote areas so that children are not deprived of education. “We have issued the lists of more than 50 government teachers in the first phase who have not been attending schools and not conducting the midday meal scheme properly,” he said.

“If the teachers do not follow our guidelines, we will issue a complaint against them to the district magistrate and superintendent of police. And if the officials concerned do not take action, we would take action against them,” Rana said.

He said on July 22, a team of the rebel committee had visited one such government primary school, Dhelapatthar, in Jhajha block of the district. They were surprised to find a local youth, Gopal Kumar, taking classes at the school. Principal Rubi Kumari and three other teachers were not present and villagers said they never came to the school.

B.N. Jha, district education officer, Jamui, also admitted to have the information, but did not divulge the source.

“Yesterday, we inspected some schools, including the primary school at Dhelapatthar, but found everything to be normal. All the teachers were present,” he said.

An intelligence officer, however, lambasted the Maoists for adopting such means to extract money from the heads of the schools.