Chandigarh: The Punjab Cabinet, led by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, on Thursday approved the Cabinet Sub-committee’s recommendations to regularize the services of 8886 teachers recruited under Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), including those in Adarsh and Model Schools.
Disclosing this here today, a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that the Committee recommended that services of all the teachers/employees be regularized by absorbing them through the creation of these posts in the School Education Department, subject to the condition that they would be paid Rs. 10,300/- per month (initial of the regular pay scale) for three years. On successful completion of their job for three years, their services would be regularized by the department strictly as per rules.
The total of 8886 teachers to be benefitted included 7356 teachers recruited under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, 1194 under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan, 220 for model schools and 116 for Adarsh schools. The decision would entail an annual outlay of Rs. 1136.61 Crores to the state exchequer.
The Committee also recommended that seniority of these teachers be determined from the date of regularization of their service. A period of 15 days would be given to all such teachers/employees to give their option. Inter se seniority of these teachers/employees would be maintained by the Department. For those who give options after 15 days, seniority would be fixed based on the date when such option(s) are received. No fresh recruitment of teachers would be made unless a complete rationalization of posts in the Department is carried out as per norms.
An option may also be given to the teachers/employees in all the above Societies as to whether they want to get their services regularized by getting absorbed in the Department or continue to work in their respective societies. In case of the latter option, they will continue to draw the salary as at present.
The Sub-Committee, constituted on the directives of Chief Minister, had comprised Education Minister OP Soni, Rural Development & Panchayats Minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and Local Government Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu.
It may be recalled that the State Government, under the SSA and RMSA programme had been recruiting teachers from time to time to meet the teacher student ratio. Both the programmes are being run under the Centrally Sponsored Schemes funded by Government of India and State Government in the ratio of 60:40. As many as 7356 teachers have been recruited under the SSA programme (1078 ETT and 6278 Master Cadre). Similarly, 1194 teachers including Head Masters have been recruited under RMSA.
SSA caters to the schools from classes 1 to 8 whereas RMSA caters for classes 9 to 12. To avail benefit of Centrally Sponsored Schemes, the State Government, under both the programmes, has been recruiting teachers by following a transparent procedure. At present, these teachers have been working in various schools mostly upgraded under the SSA and RMSA.