Punjab Cabinet on Wednesday gave its go-ahead to regularize services of as many 8,886 teachers recruited under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), as well Adarsh and Model Schools, but with a pay cut for first three years — a decision failed to go down well with the teaching fraternity and also the opposition.
While the teachers’ associations have threatened to protest against the government’s “offer” to regularise them but with about 35 percent cut in their salaries, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has asked the Congress Government to review the decision.
With the decision of Cabinet Sub-committee’s recommendations, as many 7356 teachers under SSA, 1194 under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), along with 220 for Model schools and 116 for Adarsh schools, will be regularised.
Spokesperson said that though the Committee had recommended that services of all teachers or employees be regularized by absorbing them by creating these posts in School Education Department subject to the condition that they would be paid Rs 10,300 per month (initial of the regular pay scale) for three years, the Cabinet decided to pay them Rs 15,000.
On successful completion of three years, their services would be regularised by the Department, strictly as per rules, said the spokesperson.
The Committee also recommended that seniority of these teachers be determined from the date of regularisation of their service. A period of 15 days would be given to all such teachers or employees to give their option. Inter-se seniority would be maintained of all those teachers or employees by the Department.
In case of those who give options after 15 days, seniority would be fixed based on the date when such option(s) are received. No fresh recruitment of teachers would be made unless a complete rationalisation of posts in the Department is carried out as per norms.
An option may also be given to these teachers or employees to get their services regularised by getting absorbed in the Department or continue to work in their respective societies. In case of the latter option, they will continue to draw their current salary.
The Cabinet also decided that all future recruitments will be made in Government of India pay scale.
The Sub-Committee, constituted on the directives of Chief Minister, comprised Education Minister OP Soni, Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu.
Notably, the State Government, under the SSA and RMSA programme, has been recruiting teachers from time to time to meet the teacher-student ratio. Both the programmes are being run under the Centrally-Sponsored Schemes funded by Government of India and State Government in the ratio of 60:40.
As many as 7356 teachers have been recruited under the SSA programme (1078 ETT and 6278 Master Cadre). Similarly, 1194 teachers including Head Masters have been recruited under RMSA.
SSA caters to schools from classes I to VIII and RMSA for classes IX to XII. To avail the benefit of Centrally-Sponsored Schemes, the State Government under both the programmes has been recruiting teachers by following a transparent procedure. At present, these teachers have been working in various schools, mostly upgraded under the SSA and RMSA.
DECISION AMOUNTS TO MAN-MADE CALAMITY FOR TEACHERS, SAYS SAD SEEKING REVIEW
Strongly condemning Congress Government’s attitude for laying down “highly unjustified conditions” while regularizing services of 8886 teachers, SAD on Wednesday urged the Government to review the Cabinet decision keeping in view the major financial difficulty which these employees are going to face.
SAD spokesman and former Education Minister Daljit Singh Cheema said that all these teachers were serving in SSA, RMSA, Model and Adarsh Schools for a long time and were drawing a regular salary of Rs 40,000 to 45,000 per month.
“Keeping in view their selection as well as their length of service, they are supposed to be regularized by the State Government, protecting their salary being drawn by them on the last day of their service...It is totally unprecedented that the State Government has took a harsh step to deduct about Rs 30,000 monthly from their salary on the pretext of regularizing their services. This is totally illegal and against the principle of natural justice,” said Cheema.
He said that after serving so long on a much higher scale, they will be given a meagre Rs 15,000 per month which is a “clear cut exploitation of these employees”.
Cheema said that the decision of the State Government has come as manmade calamity to all these employees.