Balangir, July 30: In a rare move, the Balangir district education department has withheld the July salaries of 11 Block Education Officers (BEOs) for failing to meet their assigned tree plantation targets under the "One Tree for Mother" campaign.
The environmental initiative, aimed at promoting afforestation, required each BEO to ensure the planting of a specified number of saplings. However, non-compliance with the target has prompted the District Education Officer (DEO) to take strict action.
The affected officers are posted in the blocks of Agalpur, Saintala, Titilagarh, Deogaon, Gudvella, Bangomunda, Muribahal, Turekela, Belpada, Patnagarh, and Puintala.
The incident has sparked discussions in educational and administrative circles, as it marks an unusual instance where salary payments are being directly linked to the performance of environmental duties rather than traditional academic responsibilities.
Officials have yet to comment on whether the measure will be extended to other districts or repeated in future campaigns.
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