Rourkela: An inquiry was launched Tuesday against the headmaster of Kasada upper primary school in Bonai block, Sundargarh district, for issuing a transfer certificate to a Class VIII student allegedly in retaliation for raising grievances about the school’s annual day celebration.
The assistant block education officer (ABEO) of Bonai, Baburam Mahanta, visited the school to investigate the allegations against headmaster Karunakar Beti. The controversy erupted when Loknath Patra, who was recently promoted to Class VIII, complained during a gram panchayat meeting on April 2 about the school’s failure to conduct annual day celebrations last year and sought clarity about this year’s event.
Sources say the headmaster, who was present at the meeting, allegedly took offense to the student’s complaint and issued him a transfer certificate the following Saturday evening, asking him to study elsewhere. The student, who lives with his grandmother, approached Bonai sub-collector Akshay Pillay on Monday along with his aunt to report the incident.
Acting on the complaint, sub-collector Pillay directed block education officer (BEO) Sunil Mundu to probe the matter. The BEO subsequently ordered the headmaster to readmit Loknath to the school and instructed ABEO Mahanta to conduct a formal inquiry.
“I have conducted the inquiry as per the BEO’s directions and will submit my report soon,” ABEO Mahanta told reporters. Meanwhile, the sarpanch has announced that this year’s annual day celebrations will be held on April 9.
Headmaster Karunakar Beti refuted the allegation that he gave transfer certificates to that class VIII student as he held a grudge against him. “This is a baseless allegation. His guardian here told me that he would stay in his aunt’s (father’s sisrer) house and would study for class VIII. Therefore, I issued TC to him,” said Beti, the headmaster.