Release pending salaries of teachers, staff: SAD-D

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 15

Backing the issue of pending salaries of both teaching and non-teaching staff of Guru Harkrishan Public Schools, the youth wing of the Shiromani Aakali Dal-Delhi (SAD-Delhi) on Sunday took a swipe at the incumbent SAD-Badal leaders of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC) saying instead of pursuing national politics, they should spare some time for improving the financial health and academic standards of Sikh educational institutions in the city.

It is worth recalling that delayed salaries to employees of GHPS and gratuity dues to some of their retired staff and management institutions is one aspect that have been consistently decried by GHPS Staff Welfare Association (GHPS-SWA). The centralised system of disbursal of salaries through the GHPS Society— in contravention of the Delhi School Education Act, 1973— happens to be the ground on which the DSGMC continues to draw flak.

The representatives of the SAD-Delhi led by Paramjit Singh Sarna, who raised the issue with Harmeet Singh Kalka, the chairperson of the of the Education Department DSGMC, after a demonstration outside his office today, demanded that salaries of teachers and staff of the currently operational 12 GHPS schools across the city and Guru Hargobind Institute of Management and Information Technology (GHMIT) located at Punjabi Bagh and Hargobind Enclave, be immediately released.

Claiming that in many cases teachers and other staff of GHPS and the GHMIT have not been paid for over two to nine months respectively, protestors warned the DSGMC saying if the demands of the affected are not met soon the Sikh community will take to streets against such “indifferent attitude”. Kalka could not be reached for his comments.

Over the last six years, the condition of the Sikh educational institutions has declined with many GHPS staring at closure owing to the violations of the provisions of the Delhi Education Act and Rules, 1973, they claimed.

“Things are really going bad to worse. Earlier the GHPS Society failed on clearing the dues of sixth pay panel and now it is basic monthly salaries. Even the gratuity of teachers who have retired is held back. Where are the funds going?” asked Rajni Naik, a post-graduate teacher of GHPS Punjabi Bagh.

The Directorate of Education (DoE) had issued orders to the DSGMC-managed schools for early release of the dues and to have separate accounts as mandated by the seven provisions of the Delhi Education law, after the directives from the Delhi High Court which is hearing a case filed by the GHPS-SWA in this regard.

“If office bearers of the DSGMC and Badal Dal leaders choose to participate only in mainstream national politics they should leave the DSGMC and handover to those who can devote much time for improving financial condition and academic standards of the Sikh educational institutions so that these institutions could be saved from closure,” read a memorandum of the SAD-Delhi youth unit.