Srinagar, Aug 12: The non-teaching staff in the School Education Department allege that they are being discriminated as they await promotion since 1996 while their seniors have already been elevated.
 The lab bearers working in different Government schools of valley say their seniority has not been considered by the Department Promotional Committees (DPCs).
 “The committee asked seniority list from us several times only to throw it in the dustbin”, aggrieved candidates said. “It’s mere discrimination.”   
 According to them, there are several Lab Assistant posts vacant in the department.
 “But Department seems to have no interest to fill those posts”, they alleged.
 According to them, no proper time frame is being followed by the department after it promotes its staff against the vacant posts. “There is a dearth of teaching as well as non-teaching staff in various government schools. Somewhere lab bearer is missing and in some schools there is no peon”, they said.
 They said despite shortage of staff and vacant posts, the department didn’t fill them regularly. 
 The aggrieved candidates from Pulwama, who out number others, said they had been ignored by the department. “There has been no promotion of 1996-2004 appointees even as there are over 70 Lab assistant posts vacant in the in various schools,” Bilal Ahmad, a candidate said.
 The candidates said the Chief Education Officer, Pulwama issued the seniority and vacancy list in 2009 and 2010. “It was sent to direction office but the office never take notice of it”, they alleged.
 Chief Education Officer, Pulwama Muhammad Rajab Tantray, however, said the department reviewed seniority list every year. “We appoint our staff against vacant posts regularly under 50-50 criteria (50% departmental and 50% direct recruits). And there are only 10-12 lab assistant post vacant”, he said. 
 The aggrieved employees alleged that their junior as well as senior counterparts in the grade got several promotions without completing qualified service in their grade in accordance.
 “When we brought our grievances to the director’s office we received one more shock”, they said. “We are being told that the mixed promotions will take place which means even a sweeper can be promoted as Lab assistant.”
 The candidates termed this as a ‘mere harassment’.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 12 Aug 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 13 Aug 2011 00:00:00 IST