Govt flayed for ignoring teachers seniority issue

NAGPUR, Aug 17: The Vidyapeeth Shikshan Manch has lamented the apathy shown by the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party Government in responding to a demand to withdraw a Government Rule (GR) on seniority of physical education teachers.

The State Government had brought teachers of physical education colleges on par with other teachers with regard to salaries, allowances and appointments in August 1969. But in 1973, while a scale of Rs 700-1,600 was applied for other teachers, physical education teachers were left out. It was only after a prolonged agitation that they were brought under its purview in 1980. Later, when the scales were fixed again in 1989, the date of joining was considered as the basis of calculation of their salaries.

However, in July 1994, the State Government again issued a GR stating that their seniority in service would be calculated only from the date they became eligible for the Rs 700-1,600 scale and not from the date of joining.

The Shikshan Manch has questioned the wisdom in issuing a GR under which teachers would not only face a reduction in salary but will also be required to repay the Government that part of the salary drawn earlier which had become excess after the GR was passed. “From where does the Government expect the teachers to cough up Rs two to three lakh now?” the Manch members wondered.