Govt school teachers in Madhya Pradesh forced to serve food at a state sponsored wedding

Bhopal: Government school teachers in Madhya Pradesh's Singrauli district were forced to serve food at a state-sponsored mass marriage on Monday .

The teachers were taken off the unusual task after they protested, and just before chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan arrived at the event.

State's school education minister Deepak Joshi has now sought a report from the district education officer (DEO). About 400 teachers were deputed to serve food at the ceremony, say sources. Surprisingly , written orders were issued to the teachers, clearly specifying which food item they were expected to serve.

In the official order from the DEO, dated May 20 (a copy of which is with TOI), some teachers were ordered to serve puri, some dal and others were told to serve rice, and `sabji'.

Most of the teachers had to double-up as `waiters' serving food to 2,390 couples, who tied the nuptial knot and their kin at the Mukhya Mantri Kanyadan Yojna programme. “It felt as if we were waiters. It is against our dignity ,“ said a teacher wishing anonymity.

Another teacher Balram Singh posted at the Mahuari Tola primary school Singrauli said, “What can we do if there are orders and names on the list? We had no option but to comply with it.All our colleagues were there. This the first time that we are asked to serve food during a function.“ Singh was instructed to serve dal.

Mohanlal of Ekpai primary school, who was asked to serve salad said, “Duty is duty, so we obeyed the orders.“ An office bearer of the district unit of the Shiskshak Adhyapak Sangh, Neerja Dwivedi told TOI, "I am out of station, but I came to know about the incident. This is against the dignity of the teachers. Officials should think twice before assigning such jobs to teachers. We will take a call on further call of action once the school vacations are over."

Despite repeated attempts, district education officer Rajkishore Dubey could not be contacted. Minister of state for school education Deepak Joshi sought a report from the DEO. “Assigning teachers such jobs is wrong.Apart from Census and election work, teachers should not be assigned any other nonteaching duties,“ Joshi said.