JAMMU: On the directions of its Chairman Ganesh Khajuria, a high-level delegation of Jammu Kashmir Teachers Forum led by UT vice president Bashir Ahmad Thoker met Alok Kumar (IRS), Principal Secretary to Government School Education Department in Civil Secretariat here.
The delegation comprising Chief Organizer Jamayat Ali Aga, UT chief spokesperson Javaid Ahmad Bhat, Kuldeep Singh Bardral, Provincial president Jammu, Kuldeep Verma, Omkar Singh and others presented a memorandum to the officer and requested him to use his good office for the resolution of the demands raised in the memorandum.
“The Principal Secretary gave a patient hearing to the delegation and assured them that he will strongly advocate the issues raised by the forum,” the Forum said in a statement issued here.
The main issues that were raised in the memorandum included:
1. Infrastructure upgradation/augmentation needs to be undertaken on priority basis. Questions are being raised on the infrastructural deficit in our schools. In order to achieve optimum success, the exercise needs to be kick started sooner than later.
2. The departmental promotion from teacher to master has been halted since 2014 for unknown reasons. In the absence of well-defined career progression avenues, teachers are feeling dejected. DPCs for the promotion of teacher to master should be held without any further delay.
3. Framing of a comprehensive transfer policy for Grade II & Grade III teachers, which again has been a persistent demand of Teachers Forum.
4. Abolition of Incharge & Look after system which has already become a new nuisance in the department. The confirmation of the look after and incharge cadre should be done promptly.
5. Resumption of In-situ Promotion of Reduced ReTs.
6. Adjustment of all the promoted headmasters and lecturers.
7. Implementation of Minimum Wages Act for Consolidated Paid Workers (CPWs), MDM cooks, Land donors, Chowkidars et al working in Education Department.
8. Framing of a cadre based Job policy for Contractual Employees working under erstwhile SSA now called by the name SAMAGRA.
9. Resolution of the issues of PM package teachers and Jammu-based category teachers.
10. Running grade in favour of 10+2 lecturers.
11. Starting of job-oriented courses at secondary and higher secondary level

KR Desk