Patna: The Education Department of Bihar has issued a new rule banning government school teachers from calling its top officer late at night. The step was taken after Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) B Rajender, who recently joined the department, was flooded with phone calls at odd hours. Teachers were ringing him to complain about salary delays, transfer issues and posting problems, making it difficult for him to get proper rest.
According to officials, for the past several days, Rajender had been receiving continuous late-night calls from teachers across the state. Many teachers felt that calling directly was the fastest way to get their problems heard. But the pressure became so much that the department was forced to act. On Tuesday, Patna District Education Officer (DEO) Saket Ranjan issued an order strictly banning calls to the ACS at night.
Under the new system, teachers have been told to send their complaints through messages on the department’s WhatsApp number, SMS, or submit them in writing. For issues in Patna, complaints should go directly to the District Education Office. The DEO also reminded teachers that their problems should first be addressed at the district level, either through the District Education Officer or the District Programme Officer. Only in very special situations will matters be taken to the ACS.
Earlier, under the leadership of former ACS S Siddharth, teachers had been allowed to call top officials directly. This system worked well at first and gave confidence to teachers that their voices were being heard. But for the new ACS, the same system has become a source of disturbance, as the constant calls were affecting his routine.
Teachers in Bihar have long faced difficulties such as late payment of salaries, delays in transfers and complicated administrative procedures. Many had turned to direct phone calls as their last option. Now, with the new restrictions, they will have to follow the official route for filing complaints. Departmental sources said that Rajender may soon introduce a new system to handle complaints in a structured way, ensuring teachers’ problems are solved quickly without creating personal pressure on officials.
