Pradeep Sharma
Chandigarh, January 13
The tug-of-war between the Education Department and the Mewat Development Agency (MDA) over the control of eight government model schools has ended with the department taking over the schools in the educationally backward region.
Employees concern
- Maintain seniority list of the staff
- Exempt certain category from HTET eligibility
- Address staff's concern on pension
- Regularise contractual staff with five-year service
The decision, which is set to affect over 333 teaching and non-teaching staff besides thousands of students, is touted to be taken to bring education standards in the backward region on a par with the rest of the state.
The schools included those situated at Nuh, Ferozepur Jhirkha, Punhana, Taurau, Nagina, Hathin, Madhi and Khanpur Ghati.
An order issued by Mahavir Singh, Additional Chief Secretary (School Education), said now, the Haryana Civil Services (Pay, Allowances, Leaves, Conduct, Punishment & Appeal) Rules, 2016 would be applicable to all employees like other state government employees.
The staff would be absorbed in the Education Department.
The control of the model schools has been a bone of contention between the department and MDA for several years.
Earlier last year, it was decided to merge these schools with the Education Department from the 2021-22 financial year, but administrative apathy delayed the process with the department now finally taking over the schools.
Since the Mewat region is represented by Opposition Congress MLAs, the Opposition accused BJP-JJP government of neglecting the region in the education field.
Meanwhile, Sarv Karamchari Sangh (SKS) president Subhash Lamba demanded that the state government should hold a meeting with employees' unions to discuss certain 'anti-employee provisions in the Education Department order. These included issues related to Haryana Teacher Eligibility Test (HTET), seniority, earned leave, services of contractual staff and pension scheme.
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