ETT teachers face pay anomalies

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, September 24

ETT teachers in the district, who were transferred from the Zila Parishad to the Education Department, are in a fix as they are still facing pay anomalies.

They now allege that the District Education Department is taking too long to ease out these anomalies.

Jagsir Sahota, district president of the ETT Teachers Union, said the ETT teachers were recruited under the Zila Parishad in 2006.

Following the recommendations of the 5th Pay Commission, salaries of all ETT teachers were increased.

“The salaries of those teachers who had joined later became more than those who had joined in 2006. This pay anomaly was brought to the attention of the Zila Parishad before the teachers were shifted under the State Education Department in 2014. These pay anomalies were removed by the department, barring a few districts,” Sahota said.

The districts, which failed in increasing the pay of the teachers who had joined earlier by giving them an extra increment or what is called a ‘step up’ included Bathinda, Mansa, Faridkot, Sangrur, Fatehgarh Sahib and Patiala.

The teachers of these districts then approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court to get the pay increment, which in turn directed the Education Department to do the needful within three months.

“Even after the HC direction, some districts didn’t complete the procedure and on September 20, even the DPI Primary Education issued a notification to the DEOs directing them to correct the discrepancies in the salaries and submit the report pertaining to the action taken with the High Court by October 5,” the union members said.

They alleged that despite repeated reminders, the District Education Department was yet to begin the procedure of removing the pay anomalies.

“For the past six years, senior ETT teachers have been getting salaries lesser than their juniors. We urge the DEO to take action on the notice sent by the DPI at the earliest,” Sahota said.

Speaking with The Tribune, District Education Officer (Primary) Gurcharan Singh said the department was already working on settling the issue.

“The matter is to be solved by the block primary education officers. We have issued directions to the BPEOs regarding it,” he said.

The DEO added that once the step-up increment is levied, arrears would also be given to the teachers facing the pay anomalies.

“Although the increment will be implemented from back date, arrears will be given for a maximum of 36 months,” he added.