USTA delegation meets DSE, puts up demands

Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, May 12: A deputation of J&K United School Teachers Association (USTA) led by its provincial president, Hari Singh, met Director School Education (DSE) Jammu, Tushkar Kanti, in his office chamber and apprised him of various problems being faced by the teaching community.
During the meeting, the deputation also put forth a charter of demands in front of DSE Jammu, which included release of pending salary of past six months in favour of teachers working under SSA and NPS, a transparent transfer policy, adjustment of repatriated masters, transfer of Masters and Lecturers who have completed their tenure in far flung areas and leave encashment at retirement for school teachers by protecting un-availed half pay leave.
The charter also included demands like enhancement of wages of ReT teachers from Rs 3000 to Rs 10000, transfer policy for regularized ReT teachers, DPC of Teachers to Masters, Masters to Headmasters and Post Graduate Teachers and Masters as Lecturers after every six months, immediate DPC of Class IV and other non-teaching employees in Education department and release of Selection Grade for trained under graduate teachers working in pay scale of 4000-6000 before April 1, 2005.
The other demands highlighted by the deputation in the charter included timely release of quarterly salary grants, providing Gas Cylinders for cooking mid-day meal on subsidized rates, providing mid-day meal rice through village depot near to schools, filling all vacant posts of teachers, providing infrastructure in new primary schools, allowing untrained teachers to appear in B Ed through correspondence courses and debarring teachers from non-academic duties.
The Director assured the deputation that their demands will be resolved soon.
Rajeev Kumar, Banarsi dass, Chemail Singh, Julfkar Ali Malik, Pardeep singh, Mohd Nisar, Sajad Mirza and many others were part of the delegation.