SUBHASH MISHRA
Ranchi, Sept 30: Over 62,000 trained assistant teachers of the state will hold 24 hours of fasting before the state headquarters of the Congress Party and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) in protest against going back on their promise made during the 2019 assembly election.
Siddique Seikh, president, and general secretary Vikash Kumar of the Jharkhand State Trained Assistant Association (JSTATA), the frontal organization of 62,000 assistant teachers, have announced that on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti, the assistant teachers would hold 24 hours of fasting ( from 10.20 am of October 2 to 10.30 a.m. of October 3) in front of the Congress office.
Besides it, the assistant teachers would also hold a demonstration before the JMM central committee office on October 3.
The JSTATA leaders alleged that during the 2019 assembly election, both the Congress and the JMM had promised to announce the pay scale for para teachers within three months of forming the government. “But even four years of forming government both the parties have not fulfilled their promises,” they added.
“Chief Minister Hemant Soren had also promised Para teachers to implement the ‘same work same pay’ policy after forming the government. “But now after forming the government he does not look serious to the demand of Para teachers,” said the principal secretary of the association Suman Kumar.
Notably, in 2021 a committee under the then education minister late Jagarnath Mahto changed the name of Para Teacher to ‘Assistant Teacher’.
The high-level committee also recommended immediate enhancement in honorarium, fixing pay scale or honorarium equivalent pay scale, social security, and others. But barring the name change, nothing has been given to teachers.
The JSTATA leaders pointed out that the failure of the Congress and the JMM has left no option for assistant teachers but to sit and fast before their offices and hold demonstrations.
