Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 8 : Stressing on streamlining of Education Department for better functioning, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand said the Government is committed to take performance of the department to new heights by adequately addressing the genuine demands of its work force and necessary initiatives have already been taken to address the issues pertaining to employees.
He said motivated workforce goes a long way in performing duties and all the stakeholders and functionaries in the department have to work together in delivering quality education to the students.
“After taking over charge of the department efforts have been made to promote transparency and professionalism, so that teacher fraternity get a conducive atmosphere to work and ultimately attend to their pious duty of guiding students with utmost dedication,” he added.
Tara Chand was addressing a joint deputation of J&K School Education Employees Co-ordination committee, led by Ab Qayoom Wani here today.
Commissioner-Secretary, School Education F.A. Factoo, Director School Education, Jammu and SPD, RMSA Hilal A. Parrey, and other senior officers of the department were present on the occasion.
Underlining various measures initiated to promote efficiency and transparency in the department, the Deputy Chief Minister said that in order to address the issue of stagnation and dearth of staff, instructions have already been issued to the highest quarters for immediately finalizing promotion besides referring posts to recruitment bodies.
He said the department has already referred over 500 vacancies to the PSC and more than 5000 posts have been referred to SSRB, adding that dual approach is being adopted to fill over 20,000 posts lying vacant, on one hand new recruitment is being expedited and on the other promotion process is being expedited.
“Senior Lecturers would soon get promotions and process of other promotions has also being fast tracked, we are contemplating to constitute district level recruitment boards for filling vacancies with in shortest possible span,” he said.
He said salary of ReT’s has already been doubled and Government would examine the case of inter-district transfers of women ReTs.
On the occasion confirmation orders to over 700 lecturers in ten different streams were handed over to the concerned. These lecturers were working on non-regular basis for the last over fifteen years.
Underscoring on the need to promote transparency in the department, Tara Chand said that a vibrant transfer policy would soon be implemented to address the staff requirements of rural and far-off schools and relevant provisions would be made in the policy to ensure that every teacher serves at least one academic year in hard areas. He said that incentives would be given to the dedicated teachers and stern action shall be initiated against the erring officials.
“Re-organization of the department is under active consideration of the Government and soon the long pending demand for enhancing ministerial staff strength would also be addressed,” he maintained.
The deputation submitted its charter of demands which include confirmation of education volunteers, running grade for plus 2 lecturers, re-organization of the department, transfer policy for ReTs, promotions, leave encashment, change of nomenclature, filling of vacant vacancies in board of school education from plus 2 lecturers, release of pay of SSA teachers, filling of vacant posts, stopping political interference and abolition inchargeism.
Later, MLA M.Y. Tarigami led deputation of J&K United School Teachers Association also called on the Deputy Chief Minister and presented various demands of the association. The various demands put forth by the association included, release of six month salary of teachers under SSA, holding of DPC of PG teachers and removal of pay parity of under graduate teachers.
Tara Chand gave a patient hearing to the association and assured that genuine demands would be addressed.
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