The National Commission for Backward Classes has directed chief secretary of Punjab government, Karan Avtar Singh, to conduct an enquiry into the reduction of SSA/RMSA teachers’ salary in the name of regularisation of their services.
The commission has given 15 days to the chief secretary to collect data and submit the action report.
In 2018, the Punjab government had regularised 8,886 teachers recruited under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA). However, it had reduced their salaries from ₹42,700 to ₹15,000 during the probation period.
The teachers had experience of over 10 years and had been working at a salary of ₹42,700 per month before going for regularisation. The commission had received 219 petitions from teachers in this regard.
In an order, deputy secretary BK Pati said that the commission has received multiple petitions regarding violation of many established rules and regulation to exploit the SSA/RMSA teachers and headmasters by reducing their pay in the name of regularisation of their services.
“Vice-chairman Lokesh Kumar Prajapati has directed that fair and rational enquiry should be conducted in the matter to find out the facts and prepare an action report to be submitted to the chairperson,” the orders reads.
{{/usCountry}}“Vice-chairman Lokesh Kumar Prajapati has directed that fair and rational enquiry should be conducted in the matter to find out the facts and prepare an action report to be submitted to the chairperson,” the orders reads.
{{/usCountry}}Lovekaran Singh, a resident of Wander Jatana in Kotkapura, who is among the 219 petitioners, said, “The Punjab government violated many rules to reduce our salaries in the name of regularising us. We have given representation to many constitutional bodies to get justice and the National Commission for Backward Classes is one of them.”