Banihal, July 17: Hundreds of teachers and non-teaching staff of education zone Banihal in J&K’s Ramban district have been deprived of their salary for the month of June due to “non-availability” of a Drawing and Disbursing Officer in the education zone thereby leaving the school staffers high and dry.
The employees told Greater Kashmir that the post of ZEO, the DDO of Banihal education zone is vacant for the last around two years much to their inconvenience.
Although the local authorities had assigned the DDO powers of the zone to Principal Boys Higher Secondary School Banihal, his recent transfer has added to the employees’ woes.
They said they had been left high and dry without their due salaries on eve of the upcoming Eid-ul-Adha.
The staffers alleged that Banihal education zone had been neglected with regard to DDO post at a time when most of the posts in the department had been filled.
They appealed the concerned officers and LG administration for temporary arrangement of DDO so that their salaries are released in time.
When contacted over the matter, Chief Education Officer Ramban, Vinod Koul told Greater Kashmir that the authorities had on June 25 appointed the concerned DDO to Banihal education zone along with education zone Marheen in Kathua and Chenani in Udhampur district, however the said order had to be rescinded the very next day after the appointee’s death due to COVID-19.
Koul further said that a proposal to assign the DDO powers for Banihal zone to ZEO Ukhral has been forwarded to the higher ups the approval of which is awaited.