Mau: Teachers’ salaries will be withheld if they do not have solar panels installed in their homes

Mau: The Basic Education Department has intensified its efforts regarding the installation of solar panels at the homes of teachers in the district under the Pradhan Mantri Suryaghar/Solar Scheme. The District Basic Education Officer (BSA) of Mau has instructed all Block Education Officers (BEOs) to personally contact the teachers in their respective areas and immediately provide 100 percent information/certificates regarding the installation of solar panels. The salaries of teachers whose homes do not have the panels installed will be withheld.
A letter issued by Mau District Basic Education Officer Santosh Kumar Upadhyay states that, according to the instructions of the Chief Development Officer, solar panels were to be installed at the homes of every teacher under the scheme, but a complete report/certificate regarding the installation of solar panels at all teachers’ homes has not yet been submitted. This has been considered a violation of the orders of higher authorities.
In the order, the BSA has clarified that attendance for salary purposes will only be locked on the Manav Sampada portal when the concerned teacher provides a certificate of solar panel installation to the signatory authority.
The BSA office has directed that a certificate signed by the teacher confirming the 100 percent installation of solar panels under the Solar Home Scheme must be submitted. Otherwise, action may be taken against the salary of the concerned individual.
On Thursday, Mau BSA Santosh Kumar Upadhyay told this reporter that solar panels are to be installed under the PM Suryaghar scheme. He said that it is not a mandatory order that salaries will be withheld if the panels are not installed. If any teacher voluntarily wants to get it installed, they can do so. It has nothing to do with the salary. When asked about the language of the letter, he said that it is voluntary, and the letter was written in that manner.