STATE TIMES NEWS
JAMMU: Hundreds of Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers working under SSA on Tuesday protested in the winter capital against the lackadaisical approach of the State Government in mitigating their issues vis-a-vis pending salaries, regularisation, raking up screening test and ReT transfers.
The teachers from all the districts of the State under the banner of Jammu and Kashmir Rehbar-e-Taleem Teachers Forum (JKReTTF) assembled near Press Club for a protest.
Talking to reporters, JKReTTF Chairmain Farooq Ahmad Tantray said that the ReT teaching community has been left with no option but to protest for the resolution of issues adding that ReTs (including Head Teachers) working under SSA are without salary for the last five months.
The forum had taken up the salary issue with the concerned authorities and demanded early streamlining but the Education Minister is least bothered to end the mental predicament of SSA teachers.
Tantray also flayed the government over raking up the controversial Screening Test issue again to harass ReT teachers who have acquired degrees through distance mode from recognised university. He said that High Court had already passed an order exempting the Distance Mode degree holders but the Commissioner Secretary Education is raking up the issue again just to stall the regularisation process of these teachers.
State General Secretary Jahangeer Alam Khan criticised the orders of Education Minister wherein salary of transferred ReT teachers was withheld. Terming this official highhandedness and dictatorial Khan said that HC has passed an order bringing regularised ReTs at par with General Line teachers making their services transferrable within the district. Khan demanded enhancement of honorarium to Rs 10,000 per month for newly engaged ReT teachers. The JKReTTF leadership warned that in case State authorities failed to address their issues before 31st December, the forum will intensify agitation against the people at the helm of affairs.
Others present in the protest were State Convener Neenu Lata, Chief Spokesman Iqbal Bhat, Vice Chairman Vijay Chalotra, Chief Publicity Secretary Assadullah Wani, State Secretary Zahoor Baigh, Organisor Anil Dutta, Barinder Bhardawaj and Jawid Gul.