District Magistrate assures to forward the memorandum to the Election Commission; promises discussion on other issues post-elections
Correspondent, Almora.
A joint delegation of representatives from various teacher organizations met with the District Magistrate of Almora on Monday to submit a memorandum demanding that teachers be assigned vote counting duties within their respective block areas. The District Magistrate acknowledged the concerns and assured the delegation that the memorandum would be forwarded to the Election Commission for appropriate consideration. He also promised to hold discussions on other pending issues after the panchayat elections conclude.
The delegation included Dr. Manoj Kumar Joshi, President of the Uttaranchal Parvatiya Karmachari Shikshak Sangathan (UPKSS), Almora unit, Dhirendra Kumar Pathak, Secretary, Bhupal Chilwal, District President of the Rajkiya Shikshak Sangathan, Raju Mehra, Secretary, along with Jagdish Bhandari and Sushil Barakoti, Secretaries from the Rajkiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh, and Deepshikha Melkanya, District Officer of the UPKSS.
The memorandum highlighted that deploying teachers for vote counting duties within their own block areas would lead to better time and resource management, reduce travel-related hardships, and improve the overall efficiency and transparency of the process. Currently, teachers are often assigned to distant blocks, creating logistical and practical difficulties.
District Magistrate Alok Kumar Pandey responded positively to the appeal, stating that the memorandum would be sent to the Election Commission for review and necessary action. He emphasized the administration’s commitment to addressing teachers’ concerns and ensuring their fair treatment during election duties.
In addition to the vote-counting issue, the delegation also raised several other long-standing concerns, including matters related to promotions, transfer policies, transparency in administrative procedures, and safety of teachers. On this, the DM assured that a detailed discussion would be held after the elections, involving the relevant departments and stakeholders.
The teacher representatives expressed their gratitude for the District Magistrate’s responsiveness and hoped that their demands would be taken seriously and addressed in a timely manner.
