Reflecting the non-seriousness of the school education department in implementation of the government directions, the regularization of more than 700 erstwhile SSA teachers has been delayed by the Directorate of School Education Kashmir (DSEK).
The absorption of the teachers in the department as Grade II and Grade III teachers has been delayed despite the strict directions from Chief Secretary to complete the process by the end of year 2018.
“Post announcement by Governor Administration for absorption of SSA teachers in education department. The department deliberately delayed the absorption of some teachers for unknown reasons. The delay in regularization has left the teachers in a state of despair,” a group of teachers said.
The department had constituted a committee to examine the absorption of Graduate SSA teachers as Grade II teachers in the department while as those having 10 2 qualification were supposed to be absorbed as Grade III teachers in the department. The order in this regard was issued in 2018. “And the department was directed to complete the process by ending December ironically the department has shelved the process, causing inconveniences for the teachers,” the teachers said.
The aggrieved teachers said department has withheld their absorption for having pursued their graduation from outside universities. “But we have obtained the bonafide certificates through proper channels and department committee got our certificates verified as well. But the director is delaying his approval in favour of the teachers,” the teachers said.
A top source in the department said that the Lt Governor convened a review meeting with school education department in Jammu and sought feedback about status of absorption of SS teachers. “The director misled the governor and informed in the meeting that all the cases have been approved and there were no pending cases in the department,” the source said.
The teachers threatened to stage agitation if the directorate didn’t give the approval for the absorption of teachers in the department. “Our documents have got verified more than three times since our appointment in the department as SSA teachers. Now at this stage department is unnecessarily delaying our absorption,” the teachers said.
They said the delay in their regularization was in contradiction with the assurances of the chief secretary who had directed for early completion of the process.
“We will approach chief secretary office and put up our issue. We are subjected to mental trauma by the department,” they said. They said whole process has been completed but the directorate was delaying the approval.
“We fail to understand that if our document verification is complete then what hiccups the department is facing in issuing the approval,” the aggrieved teachers said. The certificates of SSA teachers were scrutinized at the time of their appointment as SSA teachers and later when they completed five years of service in the department. “Verification of our degree certificates was done again in 2015 when Naeem Akhtar was education minister,” the teachers said.
This year, the document verification was again started by the directorate after the governor administration decided to absorb all graduate SSA teachers as Grade II teachers and under-graduate SSA teachers as Grade III teachers in the department.
“Besides the delay in granting approval, the department has left these teachers denied salaries to these teachers for last nine months. The move has added to our miseries as it has become difficult to meet our both ends. We are not in position to pay school fee of our kids or fulfill their other needs,” the teachers said. The teachers urged the Lt Governor, Chief Secretary and advisor K Sharma for their personal intervention into the matter.
Secretary school education department, Sarita Chauhan admitted that the government had given directions for early completion of the process.
“I will convene a meeting with the director and other official to ascertain the reasons for delay in the process,” she said. (KNO)