Hill contract teachers demand for regularisation : KSO resents Govt's apathy
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 16 2015 :
The KSO General Headquarters has expressed discontentment over the alleged Government of Manipur's indifferent attitude towards the genuine demand of the JAC of contract basis teachers under the Directorate of Education (S) Hills for service regularization.
Despite the agitation initiated by the JAC, the Government till now staunchly maintains its apathy towards the issue, said a statement issued by KSO (Ghqs) general secretary, Seiboi Haokip.
This lackadaisical attitude of the Government does not bode well for the hill students as there is shortage of more than 3000 teachers, it pointed out while adding that the KSO is prepared to intensify the agitation if the Government is adamant to fulfil the demand of the contract teachers.
The KSO and ANSAM had submitted a joint representation in this regard to the Chief Minister of Manipur on March 2 stating the genuineness of the case and the nature of its urgency.
The contract teachers were appointed and engaged under the MoU signed between the Government and ATSUM in which it was also agreed that the teachers will be utilized until the posts are filled up on regular basis.
These contract teachers have suffered for long but continued to render their service selflessly in spite of their irregular and meagre salary.
So they deserve a measure of gratitude from the Government in the form of service regularization, it said.
Since 2008, these contract teachers have been rendering their service without getting any payment of remuneration but they steadfastly continue to serve in order to cater to the educational needs of the people.
Denying service extension and payment of remuneration to the teachers demonstrates the hypocrisy of the Government, which is well aware of the educational needs and the acute shortage of teachers in the hill districts.
To make amend of the long suffering of the contract teachers the directorate had in 2011 started the necessary procedure for service regularization/extension.
Physical verification of the teachers was conducted in which 772 contract teachers were verified for regularization/extension.
However the exercise has been proved futile as the Government has done nothing to achieve the objective of service regularization/extension.
This is matter of grave concern for the people vis-�-vis educational development of the hill districts.
"If the Government continues to show its insincerity and indifference to our demand the KSO and other tribal organizations will consider the apathetic attitude as a motive against tribal interest.
In this respect, the KSO and other tribal organizations are prepared to go any length to get the demand fulfilled, the cost of which will be expensive for the Government," it added.