Exploitation of Para Teacher in elementary education, Primary & Upper-primary employed

Exploitation of Para Teacher in elementary education, Primary and Upper-primary employed by Sarva Shiksha Mission (SSM) in West Bengal

Exploitation of Para Teacher in elementary education, Primary and Upper-primary employed by Sarva Shiksha Mission (SSM) in West Bengal, The Para Teachers were employed in 2004 and 2007 respectively by the State Education Department, West Bengal  under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan) in Government sponsored and aided school. 

NOTIFICATION

 Elamaram Kareem, Member of Parliament, Rajya Sabha
Date: 09.12.2019

Para Teacher of Elementary Education, West Bengal are continuing Sit in Demonstration in front of Education Department office since 11th November and 40 Teacher are fasting for 20 days. They were employed in 2004 and 2007 respectively by the State Education Department, West Bengal  under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan) in Government sponsored and aided school to maintain the Teacher student ration in schools. As per RTE Act, 2009 all of them are trained and have adequate qualifications. They are in service for over 12 to 15 years and serve the school just as Assistant Teachers. They were proposed to be remunerated by the Central Government and State Government on the ratio of 60: 40. But, they are only paid a consolidated amount of Rs 10,000 and Rs. 13, 000 per month for Primary and Upper-primary respectively. After deduction of EPF they get take home pay only of Rs. 8,800 and Rs. 11, 330 per month.

State Government is blaming Central Government for not releasing the share. This confusion must be cleared immediately. The united forum of Teachers who are on the forefront of this agitation demanded to stop this allowance system and to announce a salary structure and other facilities as regular Teacher or equal pay for equal work for them which is a constitutional right. But the State Government did not respond to their demands till now. Thereafter about 40 Para Teachers are on hunger strike from 15th November, 2019 onward till date. In the meantime, one of the struggling Teacher expired and a few others are hospitalized in critical condition. Still there is no response at all at the Government's end. State Government did not disclose how much they are getting from central Government towards salary of  Rs. 48000 Para Teachers.

Only the intervention of the Central Government can resolve this issue. Since these Teachers are working under a Central Government scheme, a salary structure in par with the regular Teachers should be announced immediately by the Centre and the present Central share of allowance with arrears, if any, should be released at the earliest till then.