The SSA teachers finally seem to have knocked the right door for their long pending demand of entitlement to the 7th pay commission benefits. The Governor NN Vohra on Saturday, two days after his intervention was sought, asked commissioner secretary school education department to submit the feasibility report about the demand within five days. Over 40 thousand teachers, initially appointed under a centrally sponsored scheme SSA but later absorbed within the department, have been campaigning against the denial of substantial pay hike under 7th pay commission recommendation.
In his letter to commissioner secretary school education department, the Governor has asked the department to submit a report regarding the issue within five days.
The report has been sought after a representation was submitted by Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) headed by Abdul Qayoom Wani to the Governor office on Thursday.
“I am desired to forward the said representation for a report in the matter, which may kindly be communicated to this secretariat by June 27,” reads a letter signed by additional secretary Raj Bhavan here.
The SSA teachers have been at loggerheads with the previous BJP-PDP government for the later’s decision to exclude SSA teachers from benefits of 7th pay commission.
The government released the salary of all the employees as per the 7th pay commission from the month of April this year except SSA teachers following which they hit streets against the government, demanding their inclusion in 7th pay commission.
A committee headed by the then Chief Secretary B B Vyas was also constituted to examine the issue and submit its report to the government but the report was never furnished.
“Governor is very much particular for resolving the issue of SSA teachers once for all. The department is also looking for ways and means to address the grievance of SSA teachers,” a top official of education department said.
Meanwhile EJAC president Qayoom Wani said they had submitted before the Governor pleading with him to intervene in the matter as the SSA teachers have been working as general line teachers in the department and received benefits of yearly increments, time bound promotion and 6th pay commission.
“How can SSA teachers be deprived of 7th pay commission at this juncture when they are already working as state employees in department for past 16 years? It has put the teachers in mental trauma and ultimately affected academic scenario in schools as teachers are forced to stop work and stage protests on streets,” Wani said.
“Our demand is inclusion of 7th pay commission for SSA teachers and de-linking of their monthly salary from MHRD budget,” he said.
More than 40,000 teachers have repeatedly taken to streets for past several weeks, demanding their salary be de-linking from Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) that partly sponsors the SSA scheme.
The teachers are also demanding release of their salary as per 7th pay commission like other state government employees.
Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) is Government of India’s flagship programme for achievement of Universalization of Elementary Education (UEE) in a time bound manner, as mandated by 86th amendment to the Constitution of India making free and compulsory Education to the Children of 6-14 years age group, a Fundamental Right. Various states across India have benefited from the scheme as they have been able to recruit more teachers to expand the human resource. J&K is the only state where the government, for unknown reasons, treated SSA appointees at par with the Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers, with a promise that they would regularized and absorbed in the department as permanent teachers.