Excelsior Correspondent
KATHUA, Sept 7: The District Committee meeting of the Jammu & Kashmir United School Teachers’ Association (USTA) was convened here today under the leadership of Provincial President Dr Shashi Pal Singh.
While addressing the meeting, Dr Singh criticized School Education Department for not regularising Lecturers, Headmasters and Zonal Officers despite 13 years of dedicated service. He also slammed the J&K Government for failing to release pensionary benefits to retired teachers and employees even after a year of their superannuation.
USTA called for the holding of Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meetings without delay, covering all cadres such as Trained Undergraduate Teachers to Selection Grade (Senior Teacher Scale), Laboratory Assistants, Library Assistants, Teachers, and Masters.
Talking to media persons after the meeting, Dr Shashi Pal Singh stated that the community of Lecturers are under ‘distress’ due to the inordinate delay in granting timely promotion as per the Career Advancement Scheme (CAS). USTA said that denying promotions for years together not only demoralises the teaching community but also undermines the efficiency of the education system.
Highlighting the plight of educators working under contractual arrangements, Dr Singh urged the Government to withdraw contractualism in schools and colleges and fill all vacant posts on a regular basis. He reiterated the principle of “equal pay for equal work” for Cluster Resource Centre staff and pressed for the urgent upgradation of school infrastructure across the Union Territory.
The USTA leadership appealed to the Education Minister Sakeena Itoo to resolve these long-pending demands otherwise the state’s education system will continue to face serious setbacks. The Association urged the Government to take immediate and concrete action in the larger interest of students, teachers, and society at large.
USTA vociferously demanded an increase in the medical allowance from Rs 300 to Rs 1000 per month in favour of all the serving employees and pensioners as well.
Those who attended the meeting include Vinayak Sharma, Bharat Bhushan, Mohan Singh, Rattan Singh Pathania, Hans Raj Shastri, Mohd Surmu, Rajan Kumar, Mohinder Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Prabhat Singh, Shubh Nandan Sharma, Bodh Raj, Sudesh Kumar, Ram Lal Verma, Ramesh Singh, Yash Paul, Radhey Shyam, Ashok Kumar, Vijay Kumar, Mahesh Kumar, Shubh Kumar, Bodh Raj, Narinder Singh, Malkeet Singh and Papinder Pal Sharma.
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