Salaries of 72 Headmasters withheld in Puri over non-submission of awareness camp reports

The Puri district administration has ordered the withholding of salaries of 72 school headmasters for failing to submit reports on awareness programmes related to lightning safety and snakebite management, officials said on Thursday.

As per reports, District Education Officer (DEO) Deepak Padhi confirmed that the decision was taken after repeated instructions to conduct and report on the awareness programmes were not complied with. The headmasters were directed to organise the camps during the last monsoon season to educate students and villagers on precautionary measures related to lightning strikes and snakebites.

An amount of Rs 4,500 was disbursed to each headmaster from the DEO’s office for the purpose. Rs 2,000 and Rs 2,500 was assigned to conduct the two programmes respectively.

Funds Released, Reports Not Submitted

Despite the release of funds, the DEO’s office did not receive any reports from 72 schools regarding the conduct of the programmes. Officials said the absence of documentation prompted the department to initiate strict action.

All 72 headmasters have been issued notices seeking details of the awareness camps and informed that their salaries will remain withheld until the required reports are submitted.

Deadline Issued, Action To Follow

The headmasters have been asked to submit the reports within a period of seven to ten days. Those who did not conduct the programmes at all will be required to provide a satisfactory explanation after receiving a show-cause notice. Further action will be taken based on their responses, although the nature of such action has not been specified by the DEO’s office.

Headmasters Respond To Allegations

Reacting to the development, some headmasters claimed that they had conducted the awareness programmes in schools and nearby villages but failed to submit the reports on time. Officials clarified that once the reports are submitted within the stipulated period, the withheld salaries will be released.

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The district education authorities said the measure was aimed at ensuring accountability and proper utilisation of public funds meant for safety awareness initiatives.