Nirsa MLA Arup Chatterjee began an indefinite hunger strike outside the Dhanbad deputy commissioner’s office on Tuesday, November 3, over alleged shortages of teachers in rural government schools, disputed postings and irregularities in the implementation of the Right to Education Act. Former legislator Anand Mahato joined the protest.
Chatterjee said many rural schools continued to lack adequate teachers despite recent recruitment in the district. He alleged that teachers were being posted in urban institutions rather than at schools where staffing requirements were greater, and that student-teacher ratio norms were not being followed.
“Our fight is against the administration, not the govt. The govt is doing its job and has appointed teachers, but they are not being deployed at the right places,” Chatterjee said. He also alleged that arbitrary transfers and postings were encouraging corruption.
According to the MLA, around 1,500 teachers were transferred or posted in Dhanbad during the past year, with a large share assigned to urban schools. Chatterjee alleged that money had changed hands in the process. The report did not include documentary evidence supporting the allegation, and the claim could not be independently established from the available material.
The protest also raises questions about access to benefits under the Right to Education Act. Chatterjee alleged that entitlements intended for economically weaker children were reaching affluent sections, while disadvantaged students were being denied benefits. He said the hunger strike would continue until his demands were addressed.
District education officer Abhishek Jha said the concerns raised by the MLA would be placed before the establishment committee for examination. He said the education department would review the matter and address any shortcomings.
Jha maintained that the student-teacher ratio was balanced across different areas, but said the department would reassess the situation in light of the concerns raised by Chatterjee. The committee’s review will determine whether teacher deployment, transfers and postings require corrective action across Dhanbad’s government schools.
