Govt claims 30% teachers on board

Sanjeev Singh Bariana

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 11

Even as the Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha has been protesting against the government’s regularisation policy, more than 31 per cent of the Sarv Siksha Abhiyaan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyaan (RMSA) teachers, of the total 8,886, have taken up the job offer on a salary of Rs 15,300 per month for the first three years.

The three-year period will be counted retrospectively from April onwards. Education Department sources said the last date for signing the offer letter had been extended till November 12. The department expected a good number and was likely to extend the deadline further, they said.

Rejecting government claims, Devinder Singh Punia, Sanjha Morcha convener, said: “If it is true, the government should give us the list of teachers who have joined on low salary. The authorities are just jumbling up figures by including 3,582 master cadre teachers recruited for borders areas.”

As per government figures, approximately 1,750 teachers had accepted the offer till October 24. It had decided to extend the date and nearly 1,100 more had collected their job letters, the sources said, adding that there were signals of a “decent” number coming in tomorrow.

A senior officer said: “We are not pressuring anyone. Those who are satisfied with the current salary of Rs 42,000 from the society can continue. Those who want a permanent job must take a decision now.”

To make the offer lucrative, teachers taking up the jobs could continue at their place of posting, the sources said. Didar Singh Mudki, president, SSA-RMSA Teachers Union, said: “Not more than 800 joined during the first 15 days. The government is pressuring teachers after its claim that 90% were willing to take the offer fell flat. Besides other tactics, the leave of SSA-RMSA teachers has been cancelled.”