As Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh refused to budge from the State Government’s stand on the regularisation of teachers, the teachers continued their protest while many others have come forward to accept the “offer”.
Capt Amarinder on Monday maintained that the decision was taken by the Cabinet after the teachers’ delegation, which has been negotiating with the Government since long on the issue, agreed with the proposal for regularisation of services.
The decision to give teachers options — to either continue with the present set up or regularise their services with Rs 15,000 salary for first three years — was taken after the delegation agreed, said Capt Amarinder, adding that the Government “cannot do anything if a some teachers don’t agree with the decision”.
He maintained that any further decision regarding their regularisation would be taken during the winter session of Vidhan Sabha, when the Government would decide regarding regularisation of its 40,000 contractual employees which also includes teachers.
“The government has given the best option to the teachers considering the state’s fiscal condition,” he said, maintaining that he had his full sympathies for the teachers, but “my hands are tied on account of the fiscal crisis inherited by my government from the erstwhile SAD-BJP government”.
“The Government is trying its best to address the problems of the agitating teachers and other ad-hoc employees...Even though the Government has no money to pay them, we are looking into the issues raised by the teachers and making our best efforts to resolve the same,” he added.
As the teachers continued their protest at Chief Minister’s hometown Patiala since past eight days, the Chief Minister has decided to intervene in the matter amidst the resentment brewing within the Government and the Congress party over the way the state education authorities, including the Minister OP Soni and Education secretary Krishan Kumar, is handling the crisis.
But seeing the Chief Minister too sticking with the Government’s stand, several teachers have come forward to accept the government’s “one-time” offer to choose whether they want their services to be regularised within the Education Department or to continue working under RMSA society on a contractual basis.
The state Director General School Education (DGSE) had already issued a notification to regularise the services of teachers, principals or headmasters working under the SSA, RMSA and Adarsh or Model schools, setting a deadline till October 23 to confirm their decision.
The notification stated that “only those staff, who opt for regularisation within this period, will have their services regularised in the department and others will miss the bus”.
As many 450 online applications were submitted on Monday by the teachers for regialrising their services under the Education Department.
On the other hand, another six teachers, sitting on fast unto death, were sent to Rajindera hospital after their health condition deteriorated in the evening.