Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 13: A large number of contractual teachers staged protest demonstration and dharna outside the office of Education Minister, Naeem Akhtar, at Jammu here while about 800 these teachers engaged in district Rajouri under academic arrangement, took out a strong protest rally in the town demanding their regularization.
In winter capital city here, a large number of contractual teachers including females held demonstration and staged day long dharna outside the official residence of Education Minister from PDP Naeem Akhtar and demanded that all the 8500 contractual teachers engaged in the State should be regularized. They said about 350 contractual teachers were engaged by the previous Government during August-September 2014 in district Jammu. Majority of them were engaged in Kashmir region. The purpose was to fill up vacant posts on fast track basis by preparing merit list, especially in rural and remote areas. It is unfortunate that now they are being disengaged by the District Education authorities.
The protesting teachers pointed out that most of them are highly qualified and trained and now their orders are not being extended. They demanded that either their order be extended for another one year at first instance or they should be regularized as many of them are going to be over aged. There are many posts lying vacant in the Education department and their services be utilized properly in the interest of the State as done earlier in case of contractual Physical Education Teachers. These teachers also submitted a memorandum to the Education Minister demanding their regularisation.
Chief Education Officer Jammu, Joginder K Sudan when contacted said that as per their contract their services would cease automatically on ending March 2015. They were engaged last year as per Govt order for running schools which were facing shortage of staff because many ReT teachers were converted into general line teachers. Till now there are no fresh instructions from the Government and they can not take any decision about their extension. Only Government can decide their fate.
Reports from Rajouri said that a large number of contractual teachers engaged in various schools of the district today assembled at Children’s Park in the town and started protest march. After passing through main Market, they reached the office of Deputy Commissioner and held protest demonstration followed by dharna. They were demanding their regularization. Later, they submitted a memorandum to the DC, for the School Education Minister demanding framing of a policy for their regularization on the pattern of ReTs.
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