Amid Statewide protest launched by guest teachers over the demand of regularisation of their job, Haryana Government has issued show-cause notice to 4,060 guest teachers asking as to why their services should not be dispensed with. All the guest teachers working as Social Studies Masters, Mathematics Masters and Hindi teachers in Government schools of the state have been given show cause notice and asked to submit their reply in 24 hours to the concerned head of the school. A list of 4,060 guest teachers was prepared by the State Government in compliance with the directions of Punjab and Haryana HC. In an affidavit submitted in HC, the State Government had said that it would relieve 4,073 guest teachers working in various Government schools of the State.
After the issuance of the show-cause notices on May 22, the guest teachers have intensified their protest across the State. It was reported that schools were shutdown at few places in protest of State Government orders. There are as many as 15,993 guest teachers, who are protesting from past few months to build pressure on Haryana Government to deliver on its poll promise of regularising their services.
Their protest had intensified since May 18, when the Police cane-charged the protesting teachers in Karnal, the home constituency of Chief Minister Manohar lal Khattar and also, arrested leaders of Haryana Guest Teachers’ Association (HGTA). The Association has already announced to go indefinite fast on May 31 at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and go for ‘religion conversion’ on June 6 if their demand for a regular job is not met by June 5. Also, the guest teachers are protesting in front of houses of BJP MPs and MlAs from 3 pm to 6 pm everyday across the day.
Meanwhile, a meeting was convened by Haryana Chief Minister to discuss the issue on Friday. The Chief Minister while talking to the mediapersons earlier in the day said that the State Government is concerned about the guest teachers and efforts would be made to make a way out within the framework of law. He added that guest teachers should also exercise patience and cooperate with the State Government.
The State Government is concerned about the future of guest teachers and their families and would make efforts to do whatever best possible in their interest. The government is considering providing relaxation in maximum age limit to the guest teachers and other parameters in future direct recruitment, he added. On the other hand, Haryana Education Minister Ram Bilas Sharma made an appeal to the guest teachers to quit the path of rebellion and come to the negotiating table with the government as this is the only way to solve the problem.
The State Government has been trying to resolve the issue of guest teachers for about seven months, but the court judgment would be applicable for all. The previous government had betrayed the guest teachers and it’s our promise that we would find a solution to this problem, the Education Minister said.
On the issue of showcause notices issued to 4060 guest teachers, Sharma said that the previous government had submitted an affidavit in the High Court in 2012, stating that there was excess number of guest teachers and the court ordered the removal of excess teachers. The State Government has released Rs 71 crore as salary for the 25,000 computer teachers for 13 months. They had been recruited by the previous government, he added.