68% teachers opt for regular jobs

Karam Prakash

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 18

With the ongoing tussle between the Education Department and the Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha, the latter seems to be losing the ground as 68 per cent SSA/RMSA teachers have already accepted the government’s offer of regularisation.

In fact, last week the morcha restarted their stir after the department reopened the portal for two days.

As many as 6,060 of the total 8,900 teachers recruited under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) have agreed to the offer. Meanwhile, the morcha claimed that the Education Department, by not paying the salaries to the protesting teachers for 8 months, was resorting to arm-twisting tactics to make them opt for regularisation at Rs 15,300.

Hardeep Toderpur, co-convener, Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha, said, “En masse transfers, termination of five leaders and police cases are being registered against teachers. The government has gone all out to suppress the teacher’s movement, which is unfortunate. However, we will protest and gherao the Education Minister’s residence in Amritsar on January 27.”

The Education Department claimed that only union leaders were the ones who had not accepted the offer otherwise majority of teachers had accepted the offer.

Rajinder Singh, official spokesperson, Education Department, said, “More than 1,200 teachers accepted the offer when we reopened the portal for two days. We are getting feedback that more teachers are willing to accept the offer.”

Row over pay 

• On October 9 last year the Education Department had opened an online portal whereby SSA/RMSA teachers were asked to continue as per the present set-up or opt for regularisation of services at a monthly salary of Rs 15,300. 
• However, following protest by teachers, the department had to shut down the portal. But on January 11, the Education Department reopened the portal for three days.