EDUCATION

VC pulled up for not tabling ad hoc teachers report before AC, EC
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 18
The Delhi University Teacher Association (DUTA) has criticised the Vice-Chancellor for not bringing the report on ad hoc teachers before the Academic Council (AC) and the Executive Council (EC) despite assurance of the same.

“The report, which was submitted in February 2003 by a committee appointed the Vice-Chancellor in May 2002, is yet to be placed before the Academic Council. The Vice-Chancellor had assured us that the report will be presented in the Academic Council, but despite two Academic Council meetings within a month, there is no action”, said the president of the DUTA, Dr Shaswati Mazumdar.

The report sheds light on the working conditions of the ad hoc appointees. It was pointed out that these ad hoc teachers are “discriminated” and “ not paid their dues”.

“The teacher are often denied leave, they are not paid against vacations and not even allowed to speak up for themselves. This apart, these teachers are not even granted benefit of their service prior to their regular appointment,” said Dr Mazumdar.

The DUTA pointed out that the committee report has recommended that among other things, an end to the practice of giving breaks in service of one or more days, payment of summer vacation salaries to all teachers who have worked continuously for six months preceding the vacation should be granted.

It also called for automatic grant of increments for M.Phil/Ph.D, medical and casual leave and counting of ad hoc service after permanent appointment for all service benefits, including increments for years of service, promotion and pension be included.

In a letter to the Vice-Chancellor, the DUTA has pointed out that the success of the academic reforms being implemented from this year depends on the termination of manipulation in the appointments and the harassment meted out to ad hoc teachers.

Red tape gobbles up salaries of school teachers, staff
Syed Ali Ahmed
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 18
Apathy of the Education Department, Delhi Government, has forced the staff of Bulbuli Khana Senior Secondary School and Haveli Azam Khan Secondary School near Delhi Gate to go without salaries for the last two months. The entire 80 members of the staff, including ministerial and fourth-class employees of both the schools, have not been paid their salaries for the month of June.

They will also not receive the salary for July, as the budgets of the two schools have not been submitted to the Education Department, sources said.

According to sources, the salaries for the teachers are received only after their monthly budget is submitted to the Education Department.

The department had sanctioned leave to the vice-principal of the school, Mrs Mithilesh Sadhir, though she allegedly had not completed the backlog work. She did not even complete the cash memo book, which was checked by the Education Department before sanctioning the salaries of the teachers.

Moreover, she did not hand over the charge before proceeding on her leave. Presently, the school is without a head.

When the vice-principal had left for the USA, the charge was given to the vice-principal of the Haveli Azam Khan Secondary School. Since he was on medical leave, he could not help out the school staff in completing the necessary procedures.

Subsequently, the charge was handed over to the vice-principal of Pataudi House Government Secondary School, who refused to take charge on the pretext that he was on election duty.

However, Mr C. Minj, the District Education Officer (Centre), denied the allegation of the school staff. He said that he had asked some senior teachers to come with the record and salaries would be sanctioned immediately. However, they did not turn up. A peon of the Bulbuli Khana School came to the district education office yesterday without any documents. “I advised him to send some senior teacher for the salary,” he said.

Sources in the school pointed out that due to the non-payment of the salaries of the ministerial staff and fourth class employees, they were unable to pay the school fees of their wards. However, all their efforts seem to be in vain as there is no sign that they would finally receive their salaries.