SUBHASH MISHRA
Ranchi, Aug 14: Talks between Assistant (Para) teachers and education minister Baidyanath Ram held at the Jharkhand Education Project Council (JEPC) Ranchi today over long pending demands failed.
Govt denies pay scale and EPF benefits
The state representative of the Jharkhand Assistant Teachers Action Committee Md Siddique Sheikh after the meeting said that the government backtracked from its promises of giving pay scale benefits and EPF benefits. So, teachers did not reach to an agreement.
“If the government has any problem in giving pay scale it should pay the remuneration equivalent to teachers. Backtracking from its promise has caused resentment among assistant school teachers”, said Md Siddique Sheikh.
Besides education minister Baidyanath Ram, education secretary Umashankar Singh, Giridih Sadar MLA Sidivya Kumar Sonu, Kolibera MLA Naman Kongari, administrative officer Sachinand Tigga and Mamta Lakra were present from the government side at the meeting.
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From teachers’ side, Binod Bihari Mahto, Sanjay Kumar Dubey, Rishikesh Pathak, Siddique Sheikh, Binod Tiwari, Praduman Kumar Singh, Vikash Kumar Choudhary, Suman Singh, Niranjan Kumar Dey, Belal Ahmed, Bhagwat Tiwari, Shakil Ahmed, Sushil Kumar and Virendra Kumar Ray were present.
Govt agrees on giving certain benefits
At the meeting, the government agreed to increase Rs 2000 in honorarium, and the service retirement age will be enhanced to 62 years after getting consent from the chief minister.
The minister directed the Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC) chairman to correct the examination marks of 5000 assistant teachers’ answers. The dependents of para teachers would be given priority in jobs on compensation grounds.
The teachers will be free from yearly service confirmation and urban area based teachers will get a 4% annual increment. The government also agreed to remove the mandatory qualifying in all subjects in JTET and consider facilities for medical and accident insurance.
The government also agreed to make amendments to Assistant Teachers Service Manual 2021 to give benefits to CTET at par with JTET.