Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Nov 16: Providing ammunition to the opposition BJP to attack the Congress government in Rajasthan, the teachers in the state in unison complained to the chief minister Ashok Gehlot that they have to pay bribe for transfers and new postings.
What was most embarrassing for the chief minister was that the teachers said they have to pay the bribe in cash to the local MLAs to secure a favorable transfer or get a new posting.
Worst still, the state education minister Govind Singh Dotasra, who is also the state Congress president, was present on the dais at an event in Jaipur meant to honour teachers, when the teachers sought to expose the institutionalized corruption in the Rajasthan government under the Congress rule. Dotasra gestured to Gehlot that he wanted to explain but was brushed aside by the chief minister who said he would discuss the issue with the minister later.
The BJP was quick to pounce on the Congress and the party’s state unit chief Satish Poonia put the blame on the party high command stating that corruption had become an “etiquette” in the Congress rule under Rahul Gandhi.
Gehlot was more embarrassed because he himself had raised the issue perhaps expecting a favourable response but was left red-faced as the answer provided only a stick to the BJP to beat the Congress government with ahead of the state Assembly elections due in early 2023.
A brief video of the interaction when Gehlot was told effectively of the corruption within his government, has emerged online and in it the Chief Minister himself was seen raising the issue – of teachers having to pay cash – and asks the crowd if this was true. To this the crowd responds: “Yes, we have to pay.”
“We hear that many times money has to be paid for the transfer. I don’t know, can you tell me whether it’s true or not,” asked Gehlot. To this, teachers replied positively. Surprised by their answer, Gehlot again asked, “Do you have to pay (to get transferred)?” The teachers replied in unison saying yes.
Gehlot said it was unfortunate and surprising that teachers were ready to pay a bribe to get transferred. He said a policy should be framed so that everyone knows when their transfer is due and to where so that they will neither have to pay nor will have to go to the MLA.
The chief minister said the transfer policy should be such that no one’s heart is burnt. He said that at present teachers go to the MLAs/MPs and if they agree, the transfer request is done. The MLAs/MPs then go to the ministers and argue with them over the number of transfer requests entertained. “There should be an end to this,” said Gehlot.
The whole incident and admission by the teachers left Dotasra in an embarrassing situation. Addressing the teachers after Gehlot’s speech, Dotasra tried to do a cover-up saying that his staff don’t even take money worth a cup of tea.
Gehlot initially appeared at a loss for words and then promises to look into the complaint. “It’s very unfortunate teachers need to pay money for transfer. A policy should be made…,” he said. Dotasra, who followed Gehlot in addressing the teachers, said, “It (paying cash for transfers) will be scrapped with the implementation of a policy for the transfer of teachers.”
The video will, no doubt, provide the opposition BJP with more ammunition ahead of the 2023 Assembly election. The party has already sought to corner the ruling Congress over alleged irregularities in the 2021 Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teachers. Last month Rajasthan BJP spokesperson and MLA Ramlal Sharma called on Gehlot to apologise to the youth of Rajasthan for these “irregularities” and demanded that Education Minister Dotasra resign. The BJP has also demanded a CBI probe and accused a Congress worker of being a key accused.
The Congress has denied this charge, and senior leader Sachin Pilot has promised strong action if the allegation was found true. The development has come when the Congress high command was learnt to be discussing with Gehlot for a cabinet reshuffle to accommodate some supporters of Pilot in view of his group’s rebellion demanding greater say in the state affairs. Dotasra is considered to be among those who could lose the cabinet berth after the high command indicated that it would strictly implement the ‘one leader-one post’ policy.