Approximately 200 Jharkhand Teachers Eligibility Test (JTET) pass eligible candidates are protesting near Raj Bhawan regarding the recruitment procedure, as even after six days of protest, none of the officials have paid heed to know about their demands.
The protesters took out candle march to mark their protest against the authorities on Sunday. The eligible teachers earlier were assured that they will be recruited within the stimulated time, after the teacher’s delegation met the School Education and literacy Secretary, Aradhana Patnaik.
However, teachers talk had failed with the HRD Minister Neera Yadav on January 28. All these eligible candidates are demanding for permanent recruitment as primary teachers in several government schools functioning in various districts across the state.
Notably, in January 2016, para teachers protest would have ended, if necessary action would have been deemed. So far no action has yet been taken to fulfil their demand, inspite of the fact that one protestor died in January while agitating near Raj Bhawan.
“We are providing education in the interior areas since 2003, keeping all priorities aside. We fulfil all criteria which are required for the teachers’ appointment at primary level but even after keeping our demand nothing has been finalized yet and no assurance yet has been given on the matter,” informed Prakash Jaiswal, a teacher from Godda district.
Similarly, another teacher from Ramgarh, Poonam Kumari, said, “We have approached to several people including the HRD minister. There are several loopholes in the recruitment process. As many as 500 women from across the State have yet not been recruited even after fulfilling all eligibility criteria. 40 per cent recruitment is counterfeit.”
Protesters claim that large numbers of post of primary teachers are lying vacant in the schools of the State but the Government is not starting the recruitment drive for these posts and have planned to conduct another examination in July.
The TET protesters have also planned to gherao the residence of HRD Minister, Neera Yadav on May 10 to put pressure on the State Government. “4200 para teachers are yet to be regularised and 6000 posts are lying vacant. We have not received any positive response from Government officials. All the set norms are being breached recklessly. The state government will be solely responsible, if some untoward incident occurs,” asserted state convener of JTET pass teacher association, Bajrang Prasad.
Moreover, when contacted the HRD Minister and higher officials on the matter, none of them were available for comment.