Assam: Contractual teachers reject government’s decision for fresh recruitment
‘We want job regularization with pay protection and without any pre-conditions’
Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The All Assam Primary TET-Qualified Teachers' Association has squarely rejected Education Minister Ranoj Pegu's announcement of a special recruitment drive for the regularization of the jobs of contractual teachers in the state. The association has made it clear in no uncertain terms that the regularization of their jobs should have pay protection without any condition.
In a statement issued to the media, Association president Trailoikya Deka said, "The recent Cabinet meeting at Nalbari decided to regularize the jobs of contractual teachers working under SSA (Samagra Siksha, Assam) through the creation of new posts. However, the Education Minister announced that the regularization of our jobs will be through a special recruitment drive. The participation of contractual teachers in any government appointment process doesn't arise. At a time when the issue of regularising contractual teachers with pay protection is subjudiced in the Gauhati High Court, the Education Minister making the announcement of conducting a special recruitment drive with fresh advertisements is uncalled for. We condemn the Education Minister for his statement."
Deka further said, "The government will have to regularize the jobs of the contractual teacher with pay protection and without any pre-condition. This is the legal right of the teachers. The state government keeps taking decisions after decisions on the regularization of the jobs of the contractual teachers. From time to time, the Chief Minister makes statements on the regularization of jobs for contractual teachers; the Cabinet deviates from the statement of the Chief Minister while taking the decision, and the Education Minister deviates further from the Cabinet decision while making the announcement."
Deka further said that the contractual teachers had been appointed in 2012 under the RTE (Right to Education) Act based on the norms of the NCTE. According to the RTE Act, the appointment of the contractual teachers in 2012 should have been as regular posts under the state government. However, the faulty appointment policies of the government made the teachers suffer for 10-12 years, he said.
Kulajit Thakuria, the general secretary of the association, said, "On January 17 this year, the Education Department offered two options for the contractual teachers to choose from. According to the options, the contractual teachers opting for regularisation of their posts will get fresh appointments, and the teachers not signing the options given will remain as contractual teachers. We moved the Gauhati High Court against the options given by the government. The matter is sub-judice, and the government has not yet submitted its affidavit to the High Court. The decision taken by the Cabinet at its June 27 meeting at Nalbari has rejected the option system. And now the Education Minister has announced a special recruitment drive for the regularization of contractual teachers. Prior to the system of options, the government had announced that the jobs of the contractual teachers would be regularized if the schools they were working in got A+ grades in two consecutive years in Gunotsav. We stand by our decision that the government has to regularize our posts with pay protection and without any pre-condition."
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