Principal Government Degree College (Boys) Pulwama has asked his staff members to attend night duty at the said college which has been designated as a quarantine facility for Covid-19 suspects and patients.
Some junior staff members of the college while terming the order as a “brazen violation of directives of Higher Education Department” said that no such order has been issued by the concerned Department. However, many other staffers say that they are willing to help during the present crises of Covid-19 pandemic.
He added, “we have already been engaged for day-long duty at the quarantine centre at our college and now we are again being asked to attend the night duty. This is bizarre, to say the least.”
The teachers were aghast at what they call “pick and choose policy” of the Principal. They said that duty is assigned at random. “If there is really any order from the Higher Education Department, it cannot be exclusive for the junior staff members,” another teacher alleged.
When contacted, Farooq Ahmad, the College Principal told that it was on the instructions of District Magistrate Pulwama that he asked teachers to attend night duty. On being asked about the alleged discrimination, he said, “There are some five or six senior staffers who are aged above fifties and so they have not been assigned the duties.”
“They (staff members) as such do not need any protective gear because they do not get in direct contact with the quarantined people there,” he further said.
We also reached out to one of the college staff members, Parvez Ahmad, who was posted on night duty yesterday. He said, “We follow all the precautions and safety measures while serving the people quarantined in the college. Protective gear is available for the one who serves food and other stuff, even that is done as per laid down guidelines. The quarantined people are quite cooperative so we don’t face any such risk of being in direct contact with them,” adding, “When people, who are called intellectuals, complain of inconvenience in these times, how can we expect common people to step up?” ( KNT )
