Srinagar, Feb 20: The Jammu and Kashmir government on Friday suspended Chief Education Officer (CEO) Bandipora, Balbir Kumar, a day after he ordered the cancellation of 34 teacher deployments and directed their immediate repatriation to Education Zone Gurez, a move that came months after the Principal Accountant General (Audit) flagged large-scale irregularities in teacher attachments in the district.
The suspension order, Government Order No. 79-JK (Edu) of 2026 dated February 20, places the CEO under suspension with immediate effect pending an enquiry into his conduct, under Rule 31 of the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Services (Classification, Control and Appeal) Rules, 1956. During the suspension period, he has been attached to the Directorate of School Education, Kashmir.
The development has brought into focus an audit trail that pointed to unauthorised and prolonged teacher deployments, allegedly without formal approvals, impacting staffing patterns in remote and tribal schools.
In August 2025, the Principal Accountant General (Audit) reportedly identified irregularities concerning the attachment of teachers originally appointed in Education Zone Gurez but serving in other zones of Bandipora district.
According to officials familiar with the findings, the audit flagged that several teachers had been deployed outside their parent zone without proper sanction orders, leading to distortions in staff distribution and affecting the Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTR) in far-flung areas.
The report pointed to the adverse academic impact in Gurez valley, particularly Dawar, where sanctioned strength existed on paper, but classrooms were operating with skeletal staff.
On February 19, 2026, one day before his suspension, the CEO issued Order No. CEO/Bpr/Estt/026/1277–82 directing 34 teachers to report back to their original place of posting in Gurez with immediate effect.
The order stated that although these teachers had been deployed in other education zones through orders issued from time to time, such deployments were temporary and did not grant any vested right to continue at the place of attachment.
It further cited staff rationalisation and administrative review, which revealed an acute shortage of teaching staff in their parent zone, affecting the smooth functioning of educational institutions.
The order declared the teachers relieved from their current postings forthwith and warned that failure to comply would invite disciplinary action under relevant service rules.
The CEO clarified in the order that the cancellation was issued purely on administrative grounds and should not be construed as punitive.
The audit findings, however, suggested that the issue extended beyond 34 teachers.
Reports indicated that over 128 teachers from various zones were deployed in Sumbal zone without formal approval, resulting in surplus staff in Sumbal while remote schools in Bandipora district, particularly in Gurez, remained understaffed.
Education Zone Gurez, which includes remote and tribal villages, has long faced logistical and terrain-related challenges. Residents have previously raised concerns that teachers were handling multiple grades and subjects simultaneously due to shortages.
The suspension of the CEO, coming within 24 hours of the repatriation order, has raised questions within administrative and education circles.
The government order states that the suspension is pending an enquiry into his conduct, but does not detail the specific grounds. The timing, however, has drawn attention because it follows both the audit observations and the issuance of the repatriation directive.
