Striking para teachers face termination of contracts

Ranchi, Oct 15: Director, Jharkhand Education Project, Mukesh Kumar has stated that the state government was seriously looking into the demands of striking employees of the various projects and appealed to them to call off the strike immediately and return to work or else their contracts would be terminated. Mukesh Kumar was speaking to the media at the information centre.

Kumar said that the central government had agreed to increase the honorarium of para teachers by 10 percent against their demand of 25 percent and the state government has increased the amount accordingly. He added that the state government would approach the centre again for the sanction of the balance 15 percent.

He informed that the centre had declined to increase the honorarium of teachers of Kasturba Gandhi schools but the state government would be paying an enhanced amount of 10 percent from its treasury.

The Director of State Projects underlined that the policy of �no work no pay� would be implemented in the case of striking employees. He informed that all project employees were not on strike and they were reporting for work as usual.

He said that employees of projects have been on strike since various dates that had partially affected the primary education system. He said that the government was seriously looking into their demands. He however warned that if the striking workers and teachers did not return to work immediately, appropriate action would be taken against them. All deputy commissioners, DEOs and education officers have been directed to take legal steps against the striking personnel to terminate their contracts.

Mukesh Kumar said that the para teachers have been on strike since September 25 and if they did not resume their work by October 25 their selection process would be discontinued. If BRP and CRP workers did not return to work by October 21 then legal steps would be taken to terminate their contracts.

Teachers and wardens of Kasturba Gandhi schools have been directed to resume their duties by October 17 failing which, their contracts too would be terminated as per guidelines. Kasturba Gandhi schools are residential institutions and the absence of the striking teachers and wardens is a matter of serious concern.