Fix minimum educational qualification for Ministers before holding screening test of ReTs: Harsh

 STATE TIMES NEWS
RAMNAGAR: Commenting upon the decision of the State Government to hold screening test for ReT teachers as a measure of reform, JKNPP Chairman, Harsh Dev Singh on Monday said that a beginning must be made from the top by testing the IQ of the Ministers and fixing minimum educational qualification for holding such positions.
He said that effective reforms were required to be introduced in the system which could not be pruned solely by giving screening test to ReTs to the exclusion of all other categories and classes of employees and other government functionaries.
Why should a beginning not be made from the top with those holding constitutional positions?, questioned Harsh seeking fixation of minimum educational qualification for becoming a Minister.
While addressing public meetings at Taintha, Jandror, Nala-Mallia, Chowki and Panjgrain in Ramnagar constituency, Harsh said that reforming the System calls for drastic measures and administrative reforms and a beginning was required to be made from the top if the government was really serious about the issue.
Seeking the release of pending salary of ReT teachers, Harsh called for framing a suitable transfer policy for them in consonance with the directions of the J&K State High Court. He further sought fixation of minimum educational qualification for ‘Ministry’ which is also a public office rather than the personal fiefdom of its occupants before putting ReTs to test. Flaying the BJP Ministers for their failure to safeguard the interest of nationalist forces and particularly the people of Jammu, Harsh lamented the release of compensation in favour of NOKs of Burhan Wani. The BJP failed to realise the ramifications of this highly obnoxious move of their coalition partner that could negate all peace initiatives launched in the State in the past, he added.

“Ministers were supposed to take vital decisions for the entire state and could make or mar the future of millions of its people by their conduct and aptitude. Ensuring therefore that competent people occupied such constitutional positions was of utmost importance before putting to test the efficiency and qualifications of lower rung officials of the government,” he asserted.
Accusing the government of harassing the ReTs in particular, Singh observed that the government must remember that the said category of teachers had played a very significant role in operationalisation of several defunct schools in various rural and remote areas of the State. He said that ReTs rendered their services in the most difficult areas where regular establishment had indicated its reluctance and ensured diversification of education to the remotest corners of the State. He said that they not only catered to the problem of staff deficiency in the inaccessible areas but also helped raise the literacy level in the State. He said that ReTs were also made by the government to perform the arduous duties in census as well as in elections. He said that despite assigning multifarious duties to RETs apart from their role as teachers, they were humiliated and harassed by the government which even with held their salaries for months together.
Seeking the release of the pending salary of ReT teachers, Harsh further called framing of a suitable transfer policy for them in consonance with the directions of the High Court. He further sought fixing of minimum educational qualification for ‘Ministry’ which was also a public office rather than the personal fiefdom of its occupants before putting ReTs to test.
Flaying the BJP Ministers for failure to protect and safeguard the interest of the nationalist forces and particularly the people of Jammu region, Harsh lamented the release of compensation in favour of NOKs of Burhan Wani. He said that the novice Ministers of BJP failed to realise the ramifications of the highly obnoxious move of their coalition partner that could negate and nullify all peace initiatives launched in the state in the past.
Among those who addressed the gatherings included Dev Singh, Sagar Dev, Pushpinder, Bishan Dass, Govind Ram, Vipin Sharma, Mohan Lal, Sushil Sharma, Ram Krishan, Charan Dass, Sunil Singh, Jasbir Singh and Jagdev Singh.