Journalism of Courage
Around 300 candidates selected in June last year to teach primary classes in Zilla Parishad schools in Pune district are still waiting for their joining orders.
Two months ago,400 teachers who were selected but who had not received joining letters were assured by ZP officials that they would get their letters by August 31,the last date for joining. Only 200 received the joining letters after that.
An earlier government resolution (GR) had set joining deadline as May 31,2011. A later GR pushed it to August 31,2011.
Vishnu Jamadar,one of teachers awaiting the joining letter,said,All we have got are assurances. Any work gets done only after we take to streets. After this maybe we have to do what the whole nation is doing,go on hunger strike. All districts in Maharashtra have given joining letters and posting orders to all primary teachers for ZP schools. Pune is the only district lagging behind. Despite getting jobs,we have been unemployed for over a year now.
He added that after a meeting with officials of Pariksha Parishad on Saturday evening,they were assured that the matter will be expedited. We were told that school education minister Darda will personally look into the matter in a meeting on Tuesday in Mumbai. We can only hope for the best, he added.
When contacted,SK Shendkar of the Zilla Parishad education department,said,A lot of promotions pending owing to court cases have been resolved. Most are promotion of headmasters and graduate teachers. We expect to be able to finish the process by December. Right now there over 160 primary teachers and 70 semi-english schoolteachers yet to get joining orders.
