With teachers across the State peeved over non-academic duties assigned to them, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal on Wednesday that the JBT teachers who are employed in the work of Parivar Pehchan Patra and any other type of survey work are given honorarium from the State Government and they should do this work after school time.

“The teachers should consider this as social work and do it with full responsibility. It is the effort of the State Government to identify one lakh needy families and to bring them above the poverty line,” the Chief Minister said during the public grievances meeting held at his residence here. A delegation of Haryana Rajkiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh (Government Primary Teachers Association) had met the Chief Minister over the issue.

Upset for being engaged in duties for conducting a survey for making Parivar Pehchan Patra and as a block level officer for verifying and collecting electors’ data amid Covid-19 pandemic, the delegation of teachers had approached the Chief Minister and demanded that such duties should not be assigned to them or principals as it affects their primary duty of teaching.

Notably, this is not the first time when the teachers in the state have been engaged in non-teaching activities.

Earlier, the teaching staff had been roped in for various duties during celebrations like Swachhta Hi Sewa, Gram Samridhi evam Swachhata Pakhwada, Saraswati Mahotsav, International Gita Mahotsav among others.

Not only this, the State Government had in the past faced severe criticism for deputing more than 100  schools teachers to carry out “priest duty”, “count donated cash offerings” and “collection of stock material” at the Kapal Mochan Mela in Yamunanagar and deputing faculty of colleges at nakas in Mahendragarh district.

Jagjit Singh, president, Rajkiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh, Haryana while talking to The Pioneer said that engaging teachers to do activities other than teaching is taking a toll on them and affecting their primary duty amid COVID-19 pandemic.

Singh claimed that more than 10000 teachers are currently allocated duties of BLO or conducting economic survey for Parivar Pehchan Patra in the state.

The teachers’ association also raised the issues of network problems being faced by teachers and students during online classes, conducting both online and offline exams due to surge in COVID-19 cases, teachers be treated as frontline warriors, not to permanently close over 1000 schools, rationalization of teachers in schools, filling of vacant posts of teachers among others.

On another demand of Primary Teachers’ Association, the Chief Minister said that benefits should be given to those who complete the three-year period under the Inter-District Transfer Policy.

He said that teachers who have not yet joined, should join and options should be sought from those who have been at one place for three years and post them accordingly. In such a situation, teachers will not get the benefit of seniority, he added.

During the meeting, the Chief Minister directed the concerned officers to provide one more opportunity to obtain the requisite academic qualification due to delay in their PhD / NET, while resolving the issues of a delegation of lecturers.

He said that according to the policy of March 4, 2020, officers should review the terms and conditions of semester and submit a report by April 5, 2021 after examining the workload in higher educational institutions.

On the demand of the Private School Association, the Chief Minister said that the matter of School Leaving Certificate and Transfer Certificate case is under consideration of the State Government. A committee will be constituted by the State Government and a decision will be taken soon on the basis of its report.

On the request of the Poultry Farm Association, the Chief Minister directed to write a letter to the Central Government for starting the vaccine for bird flu.

While interacting with the officers of Ravidas Sabha Kurukshetra, the Chief Minister said that necessary action should be taken in regard to the proposal pertaining to 5 acre land in village Umri.

A grand memorial and building will be constructed on this land in the name of Sant Ravidas, he said.

The Chief Minister also directed to give temporary permission for three months to the hot mix plant which did not complete the road work on time during the COVID-19 period.