Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, June 6
The Government Teachers’ Association has urged the government to promptly clear the pending dues of teachers. Teachers have not received arrears of Dearness Allowance (DA) since 2016 and also the arrears as per the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission. The association has decided to meet the Education Minister and the Chief Minister in this regard soon.
Speaking at a press conference in Shimla, Narottam Verma, president of the Government Teachers’ Association, said that promotions for teachers in the state have been stalled for a long time. Promotions from JBT (Junior Basic Teacher) to TGT (Trained Graduate Teacher), and from headmaster to principal, have been pending for years, causing dissatisfaction among teachers. Timely promotions are not only the right of teachers but are also essential for the quality of the education system. The association has also demanded the immediate appointment of a new chairman for the State School Education Board.
Moreover, he pointed out that a severe shortage of teachers in primary schools is leading to a continuous decline in student enrollment, which is also affecting the credibility of government schools. The association demanded an immediate end to assigning non-teaching duties to teachers and urged that they be confined strictly to teaching work. Assigning teachers to various government schemes, surveys, and non-academic tasks directly impacts students’ education.
The Government Teachers’ Association also deemed the demands of the primary teachers who are protesting to be justified and urged the government to find a prompt resolution. Commenting on the factional divisions within the Government Teachers’ Association, they said that their faction is the officially recognised one, whereas the faction led by Virendra Chauhan is under question. They claimed that Chauhan has been expelled and is merely acting as a self-proclaimed leader.
