53-year-old Vaijayanti Dhole, who was conferred the 'best teacher award' in 2009 by the same Zilla Parishad, was transferred to Maval taluka from Wagholi last year after she took medical leave following a femoral fracture. However, on going to the new school, Dhole was informed that there were no vacancies at the institution
It’s Teachers’ Day. But it’s not Vaijayanti Dhole’s day – she hasn’t had one in quite some time. The 53-year old who walks with a limp owing to a femoral fracture has no other option but to lead a hand-to-mouth existence. The Zilla Parishad authorities, who conferred upon her their best teacher award in 2009, have left her without a job since last year.u00a0
Shattered: Dhole has been without a job for a year. u00a0Pic/Krunal Gosavi
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The Shivajinagar resident was injured after she fainted due to low blood pressure in February 2011 while performing census duty. She broke her left leg, which was operated upon twice. However, during her medical leave between February 2011 and August 2012, the education department of ZP issued an order of her transfer from ZP school of Wagholi, where she was working for the last 20 years, to another one in Waghjai area of Maval Taluka, which is at a distance of 46 km from her residence.
Crippled by govt apathy: Dhole was injured after she fainted due to low blood pressure in February 2011 while performing census duty. u00a0Pic/Krunal Gosavi
But even after she agreed to this and reached the new school on August 31, 2012, the authorities there claimed there was no vacancy. Since then, the ZP has failed to relocate her to another school, forcing Dhole, who lives with her 82-year-old mother to go without pay for the past one year.
“I have no other source of income and have to live on the paltry amount that is coming in from the pension of my father,” said Dhole, trying to hold back her tears while describing the humiliation she has been facing for over a year from the babus at Zilla Parishad.
“I have tried contacting the concerned authorities, but they usually avoid meeting me although they keep assuring me that soon I would again get recruited as a teacher,” Dhole added who is not even able to walk without the help of walker but now have to run from the pillar to post to take the follow ups of the status of her recruitment.
When MiD DAY contacted ZP CEO Anil Kawade, he said that the teacher should meet the education officer. After this newspaper narrated Dhole’s plight to education officer of Mushtaq Shaikh, he merely said that he would look into the matter. Shaikh, however, wasn’t on the post when this entire episode happened.
“The education officers of various talukas in the district are coming to meet me today on Wednesday and I will inquire about this issue to the concerned block education officer,” saidShaikh.
However, MiD DAY has in its possession the letter from September 2012 of the Block Education Officer (BEO) to the ZP education officer, requesting him/her to take a decision on the matter as there was no vacant post of a teacher in the ZP school of Waghjai village.
A full plate!
There are 3,746 Zilla Parishad schools in the entire district, and if the ZP education officer is to be believed, not one of them has a single vacant post for a teacher
20 years The amount of time Vaijayanti Dhole had served at the ZP school of Wagholi
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