Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 23: Jammu Kashmir Teachers Forum Chairman Ganesh Khajuria, alongwith Darshan Sharma, Kuldeep Singh Bandral and Bharat Bushan called on Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Raghav Langar and highlighted certain issues pertaining to the teachers who have been deployed at various platforms for COVID-19 duties since this pandemic started.
Ganesh Khajuria said that a number of teachers have been deployed at various stations for COVID duties under Disaster Management Act, 2005 but some of them have not been vaccinated yet. The Forum requested the Div Com to issue an order for the complete vaccination of the teachers who have been deployed on COVID-19 duties to keep themselves and their families safe from this dreadful pandemic.
The JKTF also said that some Teachers/Masters/Lecturers from far-flung areas of District Jammu like Akhnoor, Chowki Chaura, Marh, Jourian, Bhalwal, R S Pura, Arnia, Jammu etc have been deployed at Lakhanpur for Covid-19 duties since 2020 which makes it difficult for them to travel daily from these areas to Lakhanpur. Being a District Cadre posts, these Teachers should be deployed on rotational basis in their own districts by replacing them with the teaching staff of the nearby districts like Kathua and Samba, said the Forum leaders.
Alleging that some DDO’s were not releasing the TA in favour of those Teachers who are deployed on COVID-19 duty, the Forum urged the Div com to issue an order to the DDOs of School Education Department for early release of TA.
The forum also demanded that the Teachers deployed on COVID-19 sites be designated as COVID Warriors, considered as Frontline Workers and provided incentives as in case of other Departments so that they can continue with their duties with a sense of dignity and pride.
The Divisional Commissioner gave a patient hearing to the delegation and assured that teaching community members deployed for COVID-19 duties will be given due credit for their honest and dedicated service to the society and shall be designated as CoronA Warriors.