Teachers are the torch bearers of the society. Teachers are the moulders of the society. Gurur Bramha, Gurur Vishnu... there may be endless eulogies to praise those people who are shouldering the responsibility of training and shaping the mind and character of the younger generation of the society.

But unfortunately there is also a place on earth where there is no regard and respect for this class of people who are devoted in the profession of teaching.

For the last five months, that is from the months of April the salaries of the teachers from primary to Higher Secondary Schools of Education department Government of Manipur had been stalled. There is no financial problem as the Govt has issued notification of the payment of pay and allowances upto the months of July '06.

There is no restriction or ban from RBI but the teachers are still working for the last 150 days and still the prospect of salary is dim (some schools have managed to get upto May).

First, verification of teachers and now MGEL (Manipur Government Employees list) are still haunting the Education Department like Ghosts from the last one year when the lid of the pot of fake appointment was opened by the ONK on May 30, 2005.

Most of the departments have furnished the detail list and particulars of employees under their departments in the National Informatic Centre NIC. MGEL through NIC is a very important step because the expenditure of the department in salary and other related matters of the employees can be assessed to the computer and a clear picture of the number of employees in the State and amount incurred in the payment wages and salaries can be ascertained once this process is fully implemented.

The big question here is when and how the Education Department can update the list and information of the employees wanted in the MGEL. A host of problems come up while making a detailed list of its employees.

The particulars of the teachers to be furnished include name, father's name, date of birth, initial appointment, present post, scale of pay, date of superannuation and the most important one, that is sanction post creation number and date.

Of all these requirements, all the particulars except the last one can easily be known and maintained by the employee themselves. The problem lies in the matter of post creation number and mode of vacancy and herein lies the mother of all problems.

How can, a teacher know, his sanction post or creation number because it is not given as a certificate to be kept by the employee at the time of employment. It is the duty and responsibility of the administration section of the education department.

When this writer take pains to talks to one of the officials, it is reported that particulars in the matter of appointment and post creation in the department are in topsy-turvy and in most cases it can not be traced. So the teacher concerned are asked to furnish their creation number by any means. How funny?

Further it is reported that, for the teachers whose, appointment orders have the order no with the tag (SE) that is from Secretariat Education bears the authority of the Government and have no problem. But for those whose appointment orders bear ED(s) have to be verified whether the appointments are made against sanction post or vacancy caused by promotion and retirement of a teacher.

Prior to 1996 most of the appointment and promotions upto graduate teachers were done in ED(s). It is still taken by many that some slight-of-hand trick in making fake appointment were done during this period.

For example, Mr X retires from his service to day, under the same vacant post and under the same post creation number. Mr Y and Mr Z have been appointed and posted at different places. They have no idea about the same creation numbers and if one has to go as a fake teacher whom to choose and whom to kick out.

In another example, today 100 post of primary teachers with clear vacancy and clear sanction post are to be appointed. The DPC takes two or three years and when the result of the DPC recommends 176 teachers and appointed without giving the details of the increase in the post of more 76 teachers. Will the 76 teachers from Sl No 101 to 176 be declared fake because of the absence of the sanction post creation numbers?

Again, all the teachers in the Higher Secondary Schools are appointed through MPSC by holding open competitive examinations and by a process of a screening committee and DPC for promotion to lecturer from graduate teachers. There is no need of further verification for lecturers but their salaries is also held up for no fault of theirs.

Then, at the end, let me suggest one point and I think all the associations of the teaching professionals will agree it and support it.

This is what I would like to call 'Back to honesty measure'. Let all the teachers in the Education Department irrespective of having post creation No. Or not be given an NIC Code No and enter into the computer then it will be well and over.

This is what the makers of fake appointments in Education department want from a very long period of time to cover up the process of MGEL in Education Department by hook or by crook and for this it is suspected that they deliberately made undue delay in preparing NIC code number for the genuine teachers who are the whipping boys of this diseased society.