Nagpur: Education officers across Maharashtra have called off their mass leave protest after a meeting with school education minister Dada Bhuse in Mumbai on Tuesday. All education officers have been asked to resume duties from August 13.

According to sources, the minister assured the officers’ association that their key demands would be considered positively and that no innocent official would face arbitrary action in connection with the scam, which has rocked the school education department.

“The minister and principal secretary assured that the police department would be informed at the government level about the association’s memorandum, and that action against officers would be taken only after a proper investigation. Following this assurance, the agitation has been called off for now,” the association said.

However, the association warned that if any future arrests are made without following due process, the agitation would resume without prior notice.

Class 1 and Class 2 education officers had launched the stir on August 8, alleging high-handedness by police investigating the Shalarth ID scam and the arrest of Nagpur’s district education officers.

Principal secretary of the department Ranjit Singh Deol, office-bearers of the Akhil Maharashtra Shikshan Seva Rajpatrit Adhikari Sangh, and all directors and joint directors of education, attended the meeting.

According to the association, Bhuse agreed to refer all bogus Shalarth cases, including those in the Nagpur division, to the special investigation team constituted on August 7. He also assured that no officer or staff member would be arrested without due inquiry and that those suspended in connection with the case would be reinstated.

Issues related to excessive workload and video conferences beyond office hours were also discussed at the meeting.

The association thanked the Rajpatrit Adhikari Mahasangh, other employees’ unions, elected representatives, teachers’ and non-teaching staff associations, education extension officers, centre heads, senior officials, and the media for supporting what it described as a “historic and successful” agitation.