Demands
of Headmasters
Sir,
The demands projected by
School Education Officers Association
(Headmaster Cadre) at the one day
convention in Jammu seem to be most
genuine and long pending. Headmaster
Cadre has been subjected to humiliation
and discrimination by successive
Governments since 1962. Vide Govt. Order
No.209 of 1979, teachers selected to
teach higher secondary classes were
allowed pay scale equivalent to that of
Headmasters. This section of teachers was
designated as Senior Masters and later on
(10+2) School Lecturers. Here the pay
status of Headmasters should have also
been raised simultaneously as a matter of
natural justice.
But this was not done by the
authorities for the reasons best known to
them. Thus an imbalance was created to
lower the prestige of the post of
Headmaster. It provided an undue
opportunity to the juniors to be the
bosses of their seniors. It also
disturbed the promotion ladder. One
startling revelation made by I. D. Soni,
Ex-Dy Director School Education, Jammu is
an eye opener for the authorities to
understand the prestige of the post of
Headmaster. Mr. Soni while addressing at
the convention said that the pay of a
Headmaster was fixed by Maharaja Pratap
Singh at Rs.180/- equivalent to that of
the then Governor. The Headmaster was
brought from outside the State and
entrusted the job to look after the Ist
School in Jammu i.e. Ranbir High School
by Maharaja Pratap Singh in 1850. But
instead of raising the status of the
post, the status of Head Master continued
deteriorating with successive pay
revisions and it crossed all limits when
authorities ignored the Headmasters and
ZEO's in SRO 225 issued on 18.08.2005. If
we have a close look at the status of
post of Headmaster in other status like
Punjab, Haryana, Delhi etc., the facts
reveal that the states of the post of
Headmaster has been kept superior to that
of PGT's (10+2 Lecturer in J&K).
But in J&K State this
justice has been denied to Headmasters.
Our policy makers seem to have
inclination towards plus two cadre.
Headmaster and ZEO's are few in number
but it does not mean they should be
altogether ignored at the time of pay
revisions. All the demands of Headmasters
and ZED's are one hundred percent
genuine. The demands like removal of pay
disparity; regularization of the I/C
officers of the cadre; waiving off bar
for next promotion of Headmasters, ZEO's,
Principals; declaration of Headmaster and
Principal post as non-vocational and of
course 100 percent placement of Sr.
Headmasters/ZEO's as Dy. CEO's and DEPOS
in all districts besides restoration of
Board Assignments in SSE as Head
Examiners and Inspectors must be conceded
as early as possible. The role and
contribution of Headmasters and ZEO's can
never be underestimated in the State
Educational Hierarchy and if Govt. is
really serious to raise the standard of
Education, discrimination with Cadre
should be stopped and their pay scales
should be kept higher than (10+2)
Lecturers in view of the workload, duties
and responsibilities, administrative
experience and qualifications.
It is hoped that Peerzada
Mohd. Syed, Minister for Education and S.
Manjit Singh, MoS Education will have
serious consideration of the demands of
the Headmasters and ZEO's and do justice
with these officers to restore their
confidence in the system.
Yours
etc...
Dileep Kumar Dhar
Kamal Nagar Bantalab,
Jammu
Dal Lake
Sir,
Dal Lake is the main
introduction to the tourists as natural
grandeur of Kashmir valley. The water of
the Dal Lake in Kashmir was once so clear
that mounting ridges were reflected in
its water as if it were a mirror. But now
the water is very much polluted due to
number of pollutants. Flowing of the
night soil of house boats, garbage and
effluents from the adjoining areas and
dirt from the washing of the vegetables
grown on floating gardens, are the major
contributors in this respect. Thousands
of tonnes of silt brought about from
deforested catchments of Dal Lake also
contaminate the Dal Lake water. Due to
these reasons, the sheen of the lake has
been lost. Upto 19th century the area of
the Dal Lake was about 25 Sq kms which
now has reduced to about 11 Sq kms.
Thus, the Dal Lake an
epitome of Jammu and Kashmir's natural
beauty has now become endangered. There
is no doubt that the Lakes and Waterways
Development Authority (LAWDA) is doing a
lot of work on the instruction of High
Court, to conserve/preserve the Dal Lake.
It is, however, not merely the
Government's responsibility in restoring
the prestine glory of the Dal Lake but it
requires public involvement on priority.
As such all right thinking people must
come forward in making this programme a
success.
The Chief Justice of High
Court of J&K deserves for
appreciation with regard to express
serious concern over present condition of
the lake.
Yours
etc...
Dr. (R D Gupta)
Dhakki Sarajan,
Jammu
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