All Teachers’ Association Jammu & Kashmir seeks uniformity in the payment of HRA
Jammu, July 18, 2021: All Teachers’ Association Jammu & Kashmir has sought uniformity in the payment of HRA payable to the government school teaching staff irrespective of their place of posting whether falling under municipal limits or not.
A deputation of All Teachers Association J&K led by Mrignayani Slathia, State President met Director School Education Jammu, Dr.Ravi Shankar Sharma(KAS) and discussed various issues pertaining to the teaching community.
The deputation also presented the director with a memorandum enlisting various demands of the teaching fraternity of the state.
Demanding uniformity in the HRA, the memorandum stated “that the state has adopted a policy whereby it gives HRA at higher rates (16%) to those serving in the Municipal areas whereas those who are serving in rural areas are getting HRA at lower rate (8%). With the advancement in technology the whole world is being considered a global village, yet the government is considering its rural areas and the municipal areas as if there is world of difference between them. During the last 70 years the difference in rural and urban areas has diminished a lot. But the said fact has not been considered while fixing HRA of the government employees. Higher rates of HRA are alluring the government teachers to seek job in the urban areas where they get more comfort and higher pay. It is demanded that the HRA in the rural and urban areas be made equal so that no discrimination is meted out to those teachers serving in the rural areas.”
Through the memorandum it was also demanded that before the 6th Pay Commission, the Masters in School Education Department, after their hard fought efforts, were getting salaries equal to the AAOs and SOs. In the 6th Pay Commission, Pay grade of masters was fixed as 9300-34800+ GP 4280 whereas the pay Grade of the AAOs and SOs was fixed 9300-34800 + GP 4600. By fixing different pay grades for AAOs/ SOs and the Master, the latter have again been discriminated. Further perpetuating the said Discrimination in 7th Pay Commission, the Masters have been placed at level 6E which starts with Rs. 35900 whereas the masters deserved to be placed at level 7 which starts with Rs. 44900. Due to the said Pay anomaly the Masters are suffering a loss of RS. 9000/- per month. It is humbly prayed that the said pay anomaly be removed with immediate effect by bringing them at par with their counterparts in other UTs.
Other demands enlisted in the memorandum included: That to clear all pending files of RRET Trs(also to surplus RRET trs) for the conversion into grade 2 trs and grade 3 trs lying in different CEO’s office/ZEO’s office.As they are without salary from a long long time; That to regularise all RET Trs who have been completed their five years of service satisfactory.and a clear cut transfer policy in favour of RRETs; That videOrder no. DSEJ/NG/M/7255-68 DATED 11.02.2014, 1193 teachers were promoted as Masters. The blue eyed persons were immediately adjusted whereas most of the masters were not adjusted. After a long struggle, most of the Masters were adjusted but they were not paid arrears of salary. Till date, some of the masters promoted in 2014 have not been adjusted. It is urged that those masters whose adjustments were delayed may be given arrears of salary since the date their juniors are getting pay in the Master Grade. It is further urged that those Masters promoted in 2014 and who have not been adjusted till date may be adjusted with immediate effect.
The deputation also demanded that despite being eligible, the deserving candidates are not being promoted regularly. It is as such demanded that hold DPC of all cadres after every six months; that the various members of the Teaching Community are working as Incharge Lecturers, I/C Headmasters etc. in their own pay and grade. It is thus need of the hour that the said Incharge Lecturers/ Headmasters etc be promoted on substantive basis; the Teachers/ Masters/ Lecturers serving in hard zones and far flung areas have been kept posted there for years together whereas the blue eyed persons are being posted at their door steps and they are transferred at almost zero distance. Such type of discrimination needs to be weeded out to ensure efficiency, transparency and accountability. Thus a better Transfer Policy is the need of the hour. It is further urged that the new and better Transfer Policy be framed, that too, having Statutory force. As on date it has been held that the present Transfer Policy is nothing more than administrative instructions having no force of law; the Masters serving on SSA posts are not getting their salaries regularly. It is prayed that the payment of salaries to the Master working on SSA posts be streamlined and these SSA masters must be transferred to non plan posts with immediate effect and the arrears of pay of the RETs regularised since 2014 are pending since 2014. It is as such urged that the arrears of their salaries be released with immediate effect.
Director School Education gave a patient hearing and gave on spot instructions to the concerned officials to sort out some issue which were in his domain and assured the deputation to take up the issues of Pay anomalies and demand for equal HRA with administrative department.
