Assam: High-school headmaster retires without salary in Tinsukia

Lal Babu Singh, the founder, headmaster of Adarsha Vidya Mandir High School in Ledo, under Tinsukia district of Assam retired without receiving any salary after dedicating 36 years of his life to teaching. Despite his long service, the school where Singh worked did not receive recognition, leaving him unpaid upon his retirement on May 31.

IndiaToday NE visited Lal Babu Singh's residence in Ledo, part of the Margherita sub-division in Tinsukia district, to understand the circumstances surrounding his retirement without compensation. 

Singh expressed his disappointment, revealing that although the Lower Primary section of the school was provincialized, the Middle English (ME) and High School sections remained non-provincialized.

Recalling his appointment as the founder headmaster on January 2, 1988, Singh highlighted his efforts to seek provincialization for the school. 

Despite repeated appeals to the Education Minister and current Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Singh stated that assurances of provincialization were not fulfilled. Singh lamented the lack of action, citing promises that "not a single school of Assam shall remain non-provincialized," which have not been kept.

"The school was established in 1988 and I have been the headmaster since then. The school was promised to be turned into a government school however in the last two elections the candidates promised to take this school under the Assam government. Elections have passed, twice but none did care to visit the school or uplift us after the elections were over", said Singh.

Singh drew attention to the broader issue in the Margherita sub-division, where 15 high schools and 30 LP and ME schools have also not been provincialized. This has resulted in severe economic hardships for many teachers, forcing some to sell vegetables or work as private security guards, while others have sought employment in cities like Bangalore, Delhi, and Mumbai.

Despite these challenges and the plea from teachers and educational advocates, Singh criticized the BJP-led government in Assam for not prioritizing the provincialization of schools.