The powerful association of guest teachers of Uttarakhand would resume its agitation from Tuesday. The association is demanding that the State Government should withdraw the Government Order (GO) of May 16 and issues a fresh GO in accordance with the demands of the association. From Tuesday the members of the association would start a sit in at the agitation site near parade ground.
The vice-president of the association, Harish Arya said that the provision of 3-5 percent weightage for the guest teachers in the GO is too meagre and not at all accepted to guest teachers. He said that in the election manifesto the BJP had assured that it will go for inclusion of guest teachers in the education department if it is elected to power and in the governor’s address also at the start of Vidhan Sabha session the assurance of adjustment of guest teachers was made but nothing has happened so far.
On May 16 this year the state government released a GO for recruitment of 5500 teachers on contract. Under the plan the education department would recruit teachers on a monthly remuneration of Rs 15000. The department would invite online application for these vacant posts and after process of counselling these teachers would be appointed in schools located in inaccessible areas. For serving guest teachers whose contract would end at end of June, the government decided to award three percent extra weightage for those serving for more than six months while a provision of five percent bonus is made for those serving for more than one year. The guest teachers are opposed to this GO.
These teachers were appointed by state government in August 2015. As per the provision of the contract, the department terminated their services on March 2016 following which these teachers started a massive agitation. The Congress government released a Government Order (GO) for reinstatement of these teachers. This GO was contested in the court which rendered the entire process of recruitment of guest teachers as unconstitutional.
The court however said that the Government can appoint these teachers till March 31, 2017, if its wishes.