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Mumbai:<\/strong> Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) President Raj Thackeray on Monday trained guns at the Election Commission (EC) for its compulsions to involve school teachers in poll-related duties.<\/p>\n Sounding annoyed, the MNS chief demanded to know why the EC is involving school teachers for election work which could directly affect the education of children.<\/p>\n He was speaking to the media here after meeting a delegation of teachers from the Shardashram Vidyamandir School of Dadar west. The teachers complained that they were being forced to do election duties against their wishes and threatened with \u2018disciplinary action\u2019 if they failed to comply.<\/p>\n \u201cDon\u2019t they know that the elections are coming periodically? Have the elections been announced abruptly? They, why can\u2019t they create a separate cadre for poll duties, train them and then deploy them for their work,\u201d said a visibly irked Raj Thackeray.<\/p>\n On the apprehensions of the teachers that they would face disciplinary proceedings if they flouted the orders, Raj Thackeray countered that \u201cdisciplinary action must be initiated against the EC instead of the teaching community\u201d.<\/p>\n He directed the school teachers \u201cnot to report for election duties or programs anywhere\u201d and instead pay their attention to the student community.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery time elections are held, things are being done in a hasty manner. You people don\u2019t go for election duties. You just concentrate on the school children. If they (EC) act against you, then we will see,\u201d said Raj Thackeray.<\/p>\n For the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and other primary school teachers (Class I-IV) have been asked to report for poll-duties.<\/p>\n More than 4,000 teachers hailing from only civic schools, besides other schools, have been deployed for election work, prompting Raj Thackeray to ask: \u201cWhy is there so much work now? What does the Election Commission do for five years? Action should be taken against the EC for not doing its work for five years.\u201d<\/p>\n He queried why the EC does not have a proper system in place, and everytime they go after the teachers even as elections are being held in the country for so many decades.<\/p>\n \u201cShould not you have your system ready for the polls? The school teachers are supposed to impart knowledge to the children. Have they been taken (into service) for election work?\u201d said Raj Thackeray, slamming the EC.<\/p>\n Maharashtra English School Trustees Association (MESTA) President Sanjayrao Tayade-Patil said that it is a routine practice to \u2018take away\u2019 the government or aided school teachers for poll-related duties before and during the actual Lok Sabha or Assembly elections.<\/p>\n \u201cMost teachers are reluctant to report for such extra duties with limited compensation and a lot of responsibilities, that disturbs our academic schedules,\u201d said Tayade-Patil, welcoming Raj Thackeray\u2019s assertions.<\/p>\n A government school Headmaster, declining to be identified, said that the teachers have to go for a minimum four-day training session, followed by three-four days during the elections at all the polling stations.<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of this exercise, they are paid between Rs 800-1,200, plus given a meal on the final voting day after they complete all their duties. For those teachers who don\u2019t attend, they are served notices, issued memos or other forms of punitive action is taken,\u201d said the Headmaster.<\/p>\n When asked to react on Raj Thackeray\u2019s challenge to the EC, they chuckled and asked whether \u201che will really stand by any teacher\u201d if any school-teacher dares to flout the EC directive.<\/p>\n (IANS) <\/strong><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n