Bihar Teachers Clicking Selfies With Open Defecation Defaulters; State Education Minister Defends Move

As per reports, the teachers had written to the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar regarding the order.

Patna, Nov 22: The Bihar Education Minister on Wednesday clarified the order of the Bihar Block Education Officer of asking the school teachers to keep an eye on the people defecating in open between 5 AM and 4 PM  in urban wards and panchayat committees of Muzaffarpur, Bihar. Terming the controversy over the order as unnecessary, he said, “Teachers are respected in society. Dept thought if they make people aware, they’ll be heard & followed. They weren’t asked to set aside teaching for it.”

Adding further, while speaking to news agency ANI, he said, “Clicking selfies with defaulters is different matter, personally I didn’t like it. We just want teachers to exercise their influence in society & bring awareness.”

The Bihar Block Education Officer has asked the school teachers to click selfies to shame the defaulters and the principals have been asked to supervise the whole plan to discourage people defecating in open in the state. The order has been issued to meet the December 31 deadline to make Aurangabad “open defecation free”.

Clicking selfies with defaulters is different matter, personally I didn't like it. We just want teachers to exercise their influence in society & bring awareness.: #Bihar Education Minister on order stating teachers to keep a tab on open defecation defaulters pic.twitter.com/NQPpX7rzF4

— ANI (@ANI) November 22, 2017

For this purpose, the teachers will have to make rounds of the area, catch people who are are defecating in the open and click selfies with them while convincing them to abandon the unhygienic habit.

As per reports, the teachers had written to the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar regarding the order. “The latest orders for us to check open defecation has been sent to us with copies to DM, DDC, SDO, BDO and even local police stations. Imagine how many government work we are expected to do, except teaching?” a teacher was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.