On the first day of the Gujarat monsoon session, the state government revealed that 134 teachers are absent without authorized leave. As a result, ten teachers have been dismissed, and further actions are pending for the remaining cases. The session, which followed recent Lok Sabha and assembly by-elections, saw significant opposition scrutiny regarding absentee teachers and those reportedly living abroad.
Congress MLA Kanti Kharadi raised concerns about teachers in Banaskantha and Patan talukas who were allegedly residing abroad while continuing to receive salaries. The Education Minister provided a detailed response, which led Congress MLA Shailesh Parmar to question the government’s handling of absentee teachers. Parmar highlighted that 176 teachers had reportedly traveled abroad, with mathematics and science teachers being notably absent.
The Education Minister clarified that since 2019, 134 teachers have been absent without permission, with 70 on unofficial leave and 60 abroad. The minister refuted claims about the majority of absent teachers being from the mathematics field and confirmed that no salaries were paid to those on unauthorized leave. Government data showed that twelve primary school teachers from Banaskantha and seven from Patan have been abroad for over six months. Notices have been issued to nine of these teachers, while two resigned and one was removed. Cases like Bhavna Patel’s, where a teacher residing in the US continued to draw a salary without fulfilling duties, have further intensified opposition concerns.
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