In a significant disciplinary action, the District Educational Officer (DEO) of Rajanna Sircilla district, Telangana, has suspended Sri Lingala Raju, an English teacher, for distributing Bibles and other religious materials to students. The incident occurred at Zilla Parishad High School (ZPHS) in Narayanapur, Ellareddypet Mandal.
Villagers and former students lodged complaints, alleging that the teacher was distributing Bibles and Christmas gifts sponsored by Real India Ministries. The Mandal Educational Officer (MEO) investigated and confirmed the allegations.
The suspension order, issued by the DEO, Dr. B. Jagan Mohan Reddy, states that Lingala Raju was found negligent in performing his legitimate duties by unauthorizedly distributing religious materials. The action was taken under Rule 8(1) of the Andhra Pradesh Civil Services (CCA) Rules, 1991.
As per the order, the teacher has been suspended effective from the date of communication of the order. During the suspension period, Lingala Raju must remain at his designated headquarters and cannot leave without prior permission from the DEO. The suspended teacher will receive a subsistence allowance as per the applicable rules under Fundamental Rule 53(1)(ii)(a).
The complaints highlighted that the teacher distributed Bible books and related materials during school hours, which raised concerns among parents and the local community. The investigation corroborated the claims, prompting immediate action to uphold the secular ethos of the educational institution.
Following complaint from villagers & former students, the District Educational Officer has suspended an English teacher for distributing Bibles & Christmas gifts sponsored by Real India Ministries, to students at ZP High School in Narayanapur, Rajanna Sircilla District, Telangana pic.twitter.com/veYR5zm892
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