MERA BHARAT MAHAN
New Delhi: From being the speaker of the Delhi assembly till 2008 to an MLA without salary, Congress leader Prem Singh is in the news for the wrong reason due to his alleged quest for free hospitality and privilege.
Some time ago, Singh’s salary and allowances were blocked for allegedly taking away valuables, including air-conditioners, computers and floor tiles, from his official residence.
Now, the four-time MLA from Ambedkar Nagar has landed in another controversy.
The Indian Consulate General in New York, USA has shot off a letter to the Delhi government requesting its help to recover $960 (Rs 44,600) from Singh, as he did not pay the hotel bills of his family members during their stay from August 10-12, 2008.
A top official said, Singh’s wife, son and daughter-in-law had accompanied the then speaker to the US.
The consulate had paid the hotel and now wants the money from either the Delhi government or Singh.
The consulate had booked only one deluxe suite for Singh, but he demanded a larger suite.
The expenditure of Singh’s trip was borne by the government, but not the hotel charges of his relatives.
Sources said the government has received a similar letter from the Indian embassy in Italy seeking money it had spent on hotel bookings for Singh who eventually cancelled the trip. Repeated attempts to get Singh’s side of the story were in vain.
Drawing teacher worked for 18 years without pay
Chennai: A 55- year-old in Kerala has been working as a drawing teacher in a government-aided upper primary school (till Std VII) for 18 years without being paid a paisa.
There is no door that K Balasubramanian of Karivellur in Kannur district hasn’t knocked all these years, but all he received were promises.
There are nearly 80 others like him across Kerala who work without a salary simply because, in many cases, the post of ‘specialist teacher’ (for art, craft, needle work, physical education etc) is yet to be approved by the state government.
In 2008, these teachers had been on relay fast for 166 days in front of the State Secretariat demanding sanction for their posts.
They ended the stir following an assurance from the State government that their demand would be met, but nothing happened.
Now, Balasubramanian is desperate. He is only two months away from retirement. All these years, Balasubramanian, his wife and their two children managed to live on the wages he earned working as a painter in his spare time.
"We don’t have a home. We live in a relative’s house. Until now, I doubled up as a painter. But, I can’t do it anymore since I am old and weak," Balasubramanian says.
"I am neck-deep in debt. My daughter is in college and my son is in Std V. the future scares us."
A source in the office of Education Minister M A Baby told that posts of teachers are sanctioned based on student strength.
Of late, the government is very particular about having specialist teachers and treating them on par with those who teach subjects like mathematics and science.
To get around the problem of shortage of students, the government is likely to club schools where lack of students is limiting the number of posts of teachers.
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