KANGPOKPI, January 9: Kuki Students’ Organization-GHQ and All Naga Students’ Association, Manipur today reminded the State government of its January 21 deadline over the issue of hill school contract basis teachers, 2006 batch.
The two apex student bodies are underhand to take up the issue of contract teachers 2006 batch of Directorate of Education(S) which was pending for a long time despite series of repeated appeal to the government by scores of hill and valley based civil organizations to absorb the teachers who have tirelessly rendered their sacrificial service in the past many years, said a joint press statement of KSO-GHQ and ANSAM.
The two bodies had submitted a joint memorandum to the Chief Minister on December 14 last, warning of different forms of democratic agitation if the government fails to redress the matter within the stipulated time.
It also stated that the government had assured to meet the educational needs of the hill based schools and fill up vacant posts on regular basis through recruitment but the same has not been taken up so far.
A consultative meeting of the student bodies had declared to carry out any form of agitation over the genuine demand in case the government fails to give positive respond within a time-bound, the statement said.
Reiterating that the government preferred to stay unheeded and unbothered on the issue despite the JAC formed by the contract teachers launching different forms of agitation including sit-in-protest, economic blockade, bandh and ban on national projects, the bodies cautioned that the issue may turn sour if the concerned authorities do not solve the matter as soon as possible.
It is injustice on the part of the government and painful that despite all the standing MOUs and subsequent development, the contract teachers of 2006 batch are suffering tooth and nail over the genuine demand for regular service regularization/re-engagement of order and payment of remuneration.
Numerous contract basis teachers were appointed and engaged by the Directorate of Education (S) Hills under the MOU signed between the government and ATSUM in 2006 to cater the educational needs of the Hills Schools, it pointed out, adding that the MOU clearly reads that the service of the teachers appointed on contract basis will be utilized until the posts are filled up on regular basis through normal recruitment or special drive.
The joint statement said that the appointments and engagement of this contract basis teachers were made after due advertisement and also obtaining the finance memo from the Finance Department.
In addition to this, Professional Tax have also levied and taken from the aforesaid contract basis teachers, it stated.
Claiming that the service extension order of the contract basis teachers and payment of remuneration was made only up to 2008, KSO and ANSAM said no extension order has been made despite of rendering valuable service by the teachers for the past many years.
On November, 2011, the physical verification accompanied with relevant documents was conducted by the Directorate of Education (S) for the service extension/regularization and in the due process 772 number of contract teachers were found to be genuine by the concerned Directorate and put up to the higher authority for necessary action.
However, no concrete development has been seen till date, it continued.
In the wake of the development over the issue, a joint consultative meeting of ANSAM, KSO-GHQ and JAC of contract Teachers will be held at TRI Complex, Chingmeirong on January 13 at 11.00 am, the statement added.