At least 4500 head teachers have become victims of flawed decisions taken by successive regimes as they are denied the benefits of the 7th pay commission despite being recruited through state’s recruitment agency Service Selection Board (SSB).
The head teachers posted in upper primary schools (UPS) are master grade employees of the education department and their selection has been made through proper process by the state government in the previous years. After the inception of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) scheme in J&K state, the then government decided to upgrade SSA primary schools to the level of UPS.
“For this the then government promoted in-service teachers as masters and posted them in these SSA upgraded schools as head teachers,” an official said, adding that the teachers are state employees but government availed their services in SSA upgraded schools.
A head teacher from Baramulla who was participating in the protest rally of SSA teachers said he qualified SSRB teacher exam in 1997 and was appointed as a general line teacher in education department. “Later in 2011 government promoted me as master and posted me in UPS to avail my service as head teacher. Unfortunately, today I am being denied 7th pay commission by the government,” he said.
The head teachers asked the government to explain why they are being denied benefits of 7th pay commission. “Have we done anything wrong if we were promoted by government? It was the government which upgraded PS to UPS and availed our services as head teachers,” said a head teacher. “Some head teachers who are of master grade in education department are on the verge of retirement. Government is indifferent towards us.”
An official in SSA directorate said that the government can’t stop 7th pay commission benefits to head teachers because they are state’s own employee. However, he said the then government committed a mistake by shifting these masters to UPS as head teachers. “Actually government had to recruit new head teachers for UPS on contractual basis at the rate of Rs 25000 per month which is now Rs 30000. But they shifted these masters on these posts,” he said. “But it is not their fault as it was done as a policy decision and the present government can’t ignore them because they are state employees.”
Director SSA, A R War said that the issue of head teachers will be resolved in a week’s time. “A committee headed by chief secretary has been constituted. The issue of head teachers will be resolved within days,” said War.