Leader of the opposition and Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Tokheho Yepthomi has said the “flexible decisions of the state cabinet every now and then prove that the state government cannot take prompt decision as expected by the people”; while attacking the DAN government over its handling of the bogus teachers’ scam.
In a statement, Tokheho said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the State Vigilance Commission set up on February 7,2009 and June 3,2009 to probe the scam submitted its report on February 26,2011 which categorized appointments as under:
Bogus teachers – 1156; Doubtful teachers-1096; Absent teachers-1084 & Genuine teachers-2806.
Tokheho cited the July 19, 2011 order of the school education department after approval by the state government and Cabinet approval on July 13, 2011 for retention and regularization of teachers w.e.f. April 1,2011.Then a few days on formal retention and regularization, the cabinet decided to review and keep the order in abeyance, he said.
Citing the SIT report, Tokheho said from March 2002 to March 2009 the department of school education appointed 6141 teachers. The salaries of bogus teachers(1156) for one month was Rs.1,04,94,000(@Rs.9000) and Absent teachers(1096) was Rs.97,56,000 totalling Rs.24.19 crore per year. The total amount paid from March 2002 to 2009 was Rs.169.33 crore.
Citing a statement issued by Nipusielie Angami then director school education, who claimed on March 20,2010 that he had only made the appointments as “per the approval of the government”; Tokheho demanded to know as to who was the minister in charge when appointments under doubtful category were made?
He said the government during July 2010 budget session, placed the then director of school education under house arrest “just to avoid criticism during the assembly session”.
However, he said the house arrest was lifted after the assembly session and the then director allowed to retire and the period of suspension treated as “on duty”. Tokheho remarked “suspension of government employees in Nagaland is not a punishment but a holiday for them.”
After submission of report by the SIT, the government then set up a committee under then commissioner and secretary Mhathung Kithan to look into the report and submit recommendations to the government on the course of punitive, remedial and preventive measures to the taken.
The committee submitted its report and recommended suspension of Nipusilie Angami Director of education, Morohu Khuvung and P. Mhathung but except for Nipusilie the two were promoted and posted to other departments, he said.
Tokheho said on November 16,2005 the director of school education issued a circular wherein section officers and officers in-charge were asked to hand over all relevant files pertaining to post creation, notifications, confirmation of post appointments etc from the old records and hand them to record keeper Siesalie on or before November 19,2005 “to be disposed/burnt”.
Describing the school education department as ‘One of the most corrupt department” with the minister in-charge taking money from the grant-in-aid, Tokheho alleged that those 1096 posts under doubtful category “were all sold by the government, which is an open secret.”
He also accused the DAN government of having “completely destroyed” the school education department and the future generation.
For More Updates, follow us on 
and 