Teachers seek place in BJP manifesto

Tribune News service

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Shimla, October 27

The Himachal Government Teachers Union (HGTU), claiming membership of 66,000 has urged the BJP and the Congress to include the demands of teachers in the poll manifesto and also struck a note of caution that no party could come to power without addressing the issues and demands raised by them.

In a 27-point demand charter submitted to the chairman of the manifesto committee of the BJP and Congress besides senior leaders of both the parties, the HGTU has urged that these demands be incorporated in the manifesto/vision document and the financial and other benefits denied by the present government be released after the party comes to power.

The president of the HGTU, Virender Chauhan, said, “In case the demands are included in the manifesto, the teachers and their families will extend open hearted support to the party”, he added.

The major demands includes raising the retirement age to 62 years, release of benefits of the last pay commission implemented in the state along with Assured Career Promotion and grade pay and withdrawal of all the notifications curtailing the financial benefits.

Demands for restoration of old pension scheme, calculation of DA on the basis of existing pay commission, grant of benefits of pay revision by the next pay commission within a year, even if the Punjab government fails to implement the commission recommendations, grant of all allowance on a par with the Punjab or Central Government employees, appointment of Directors of Elementary and Higher Education with minimum 10 years full time teaching experience and withdrawal of officers of the college cadre controlling school affairs have also been listed in the memorandum.

Chauhan said the restoration of the designation of lecturer to all PGTs, granting one time relaxation in the existing rules to promote lecturers as headmaster, implementations of the orders of the Supreme Court on equal pay for equal work, regularisation of services of contract employees with all benefits, two special increments to teachers on the completion of 15 years in the same cadre/post and crediting earned leaves in excess to 300 days are other demands raised by the HGTU.