Teachers lock down Doda schools over pay disparity

Ranjit Thakur

Doda, August 20

Annoyed over the “delaying tactics” of the state, the Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers of Doda on Monday locked down primary and middle schools in protest.

They were seeking implementation of the 7th Pay Commission recommendations besides delinking their salary from the budget of the Ministry of Human Resource Development to the state Budget.

Sajjad Malik, district president, Rehbar-e-Taleem Teachers’ Forum, said, “We don’t want to come on streets or lock down schools but we have no option. We have locked down the primary and middle schools in protest against the government and all teachers have gone on a one-day casual leave. We want our salaries to be released as per the 7th Pay Commission recommendations.”

“Around 65,000 ReT teachers are performing their duties in the remote corners of the state and they have a huge role in improving the education system but the government has never treated us equally,” Malik alleged.

“Due to irregularities in salaries, teachers are facing problems and they are forced to borrow money from their friends and relatives to meet their expenditures which is humiliating for an educated person,” he added.

Bhadar Singh Bhagat, a local resident, said, “There are many other ways to protest but closing down schools is not a good thing. They should have raised their demands in a decent way so that the students did not to suffer.”

Chief Education Officer, Doda, Mohammad Sharif said, “I am also receiving reports that they have locked down schools in protest. I will check the details and let you know.”

Protest in Reasi

Accusing the government of depriving them of the 7th Pay Commission benefits, the regularised Rehbar-e-Taleem (ReT) teachers of Reasi district on Monday demanded that the state should bring them under its Budget plan and delink them from the Union Ministry of Human Resource Development.

Presently, the ReT teachers engaged under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, including those regularised by the previous governments, are getting salaries from the Centre.

Under the banner of the Employees Joint Action Committee, the ReT teachers on Monday staged a protest and alleged that the previous governments had neglected them despite making promises of solving their issues.

Balwan Singh, district president, J&K ReT Teachers’ Forum, Reasi, said, “We are government employees and 7th Pay Commission benefits, transfer policy and timely salary are our basic rights. However, we have been denied these rights by the previous anti-teacher government. We appeal to Governor NN Vohra to intervene into the matter.”

The speakers requested the Governor-led state administration for immediate rederssal of their genuine demands so that the teachers were not made to suffer more.

“The youth engaged under the ReT made defunct schools functional during militancy and after the successful completion of the required services, they were regularised as general line teachers. However, now they are being denied benefits under the 7th Pay Commission,” Balwan Singh said. — OC