Teachers demand filling of vacant posts
Monday, 09/04/2012
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120409/punjab.htm#15
Representatives of the 7,654 Sanjha Adhyapak Front, Punjab, met Punjab Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka at his residence and voiced their grievances related to their pending salaries, regularisation of posts and filling of the vacant posts.
General secretary of the Front, Gurdeep Singh Mann, told TNS, “In September 2009, the government had advertised for filling up of 7,654 vacant posts across the schools in Punjab. These included posts for lecturers, vocational masters, master cadre and non-teaching staff like library restorers. The recruitment process went on till April 2011.”
“Various reasons were cited for the delay in the recruitment procedure. Finally, giving some respite to the teachers, appointment of lectures happened in April 2011 and vocational masters in June 2011. Appointments for the rest of the posts were again delayed on one or the other pretext. As a result of this, more than 1,500 appointments are still pending as the waiting list is yet to be taken up by the authorities concerned,” he further added.
Comparing the delay in the recruitment with the swiftness with which teachers were appointed under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan, he said, “Surprisingly, recruitment of teachers under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan started in October 2010 and by February 2011, the appointments had begun.”
“Apart from the delay in recruitment, another difference between the two drives is the salary on which the teachers were appointed. While those recruited under the SSA drive were appointed on a monthly salary of Rs 29,000, those recruited through the advertisement were offered Rs 6,400 (lecturers), Rs 5,800 (vocational masters), Rs 5,400 (Master cadre) and Rs 3,300 (non-teaching staff). As the elections neared, the pay was increased to Rs 10,000 per monthly in November 2011,” he further added.
“The 7,654 Sanjha Adhyapak Front members had voiced their concerns in a meeting with the Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka on Friday night. He patiently listened to our demands and assured us that he will take up the matter with the state government and will soon call us for a formal meeting in Chandigarh,” added Mann.
Talking about the demands that the Front presented to the Education Minister, he said, “We are demanding that those in the waiting list be recruited as soon as possible, our basic pay be increased to Rs 18,500 per month as per the revised pay scale and at least, our posts be regularised.”
