Chandigarh, October 13: With resentment brewing in within the Punjab Government and the Congress party over the way the state education authorities, including Minister OP Soni, is handling the massive protest by teachers against regularisation offer, Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has decided to intervene.
Even as the protesting teachers have made it clear that they would hold “no talks with the Minister”, the Chief Minister has decided to meet the protesting teachers. Sources informed that the Chief Minister would soon be inviting the union leaders or the talks to resolving the matter.
It has been learnt that the Chief Minister is not happy with the way the Minister in-charge Soni, and the Education Secretary Krishan Kumar is handling the prevailing crisis. Sources informed that some of the Cabinet Ministers and even the Congress leaders have also nitpick with the duo.
The Minister’s decision to suspend and transfer protesting teachers has failed to go down well with the Chief Minister and also the leaders.
Chief Minister’s concern over the issue is explicable as the teachers have been protesting since Sunday in his home town Patiala. The protest has been extended to other districts too to take it to the state level.
The teachers responded to the State Government’s strict attitude by teachers submitting their protest by returning their State Awards and commendation letters.
The teachers have been protesting against the State Government’s “offer” for regularising teachers’ job with about three-fourth salary cut, no less than 150 teachers, from joint teachers’ union of Rashtriya Madhayamik Siksha Abhiyaan (RMSA) and Sarva Sikhsha Abhiyaan (SSA), have started protest dharna since Sunday evening at Patiala, while many others are sitting on fast-unto-death.
The state Director General School Education (DGSE) had already issued a notification to regularise the services of teachers, principals or headmasters working under the SSA, RMSA and Adarsh or Model schools.
As per the notification, the proposed beneficiaries have been given a chance to give option as to whether they want their services to be regularised within the Education Department or to continue working under RMSA society on a contractual basis.
They have been given a 15-day period, that is till October 23, to confirm their decision. The notification also stated that “only those staff who opt for regularisation within this period will have their services regularised in the department and others will miss the bus”.
Punjab Cabinet, past week, had given its go-ahead to regularize services of as many 8,886 teachers recruited under SSA, RMSA, and also under Adarsh and Model Schools, but with a pay cut for first three years.
The teachers refused to accept the government’s “offer” to regularise their services with about 35 percent cut in their salaries, and retorted with series of protests, burning Chief Minister’s effigy, and finally starting a fast-unto-death in his home town Patiala from Sunday.
As many 7356 teachers under SSA, 1194 under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), along with 220 for Model schools and 116 for Adarsh schools, will be regularised.
As per the Cabinet decision, services of these teachers or employees be regularized by absorbing them by creating these posts in School Education Department subject to the condition that they would be paid Rs 15,000 per month for three years. And on successful completion of three years, their services would be regularized by the Department, strictly as per rules.
The protesting teachers have now been demanding from the government to revoke its decision of regularising the teachers with a salary cut.
Besides, the RMSA and SSA teachers have made it clear that they would not end their protest till the State Government accept their demands of regularisation, equal-pay or equal work, among others.
