In a major reprieve to the unemployed EGS/ AIE teachers of the state, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today offered two years of gainful contractual employment to them in the Education department besides take up their case of exempting them from Teacher’s Eligibility Test (TET) with the Union government.Taking part in deliberations with the EGS/ AIE Action committee here today at Punjab Bhawan, the Chief Minister, while taking lenient view of hardships faced by these teachers, said that the state government was fully committed to solve problems faced by all the employees and unemployed persons. He offered that in order to provide economic assistance to the unemployed EGS/ AIE teachers, the state government would provide gainful employment to them for two years on contract basis in the Education department. However Mr. Badal made it clear that the employment would be given for a period of two years during which these unemployed EGS/ AIE teachers would have to appear for the TET so as to get regular service in the Education department.
The Chief Minister further said that being a welfare state, the Punjab government was concerned about the future of these unemployed EGS/ AIE teachers due to which this measure was the need of the hour. Mr. Badal said that the formalities regarding the fixing of the salary of these teachers during this contractual service would be decided by a high level committee comprising Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. SK Sandhu, Principal Secretary Education and Financial Commissioner Rural Development after consultations with the representatives of unemployed EGS/ AIE teachers. Mr. Badal asked the Education department to complete all the necessary formalities within a month so that the unemployed EGS/ AIE teachers could be provided employment.
On a demand of the teachers for exempting them from the TET test for providing regular employment in the Education department, Mr. Badal said that the state government would take up this matter with the Union government in coming days. He deputed the Principal Secretary Education Mrs. Anjali Bhanwra to hold the meeting the Secretary Education Government of India (GoI) for finding a viable solution to safeguard the interests of these teachers. The Chief Minister also asked representatives of the action committee to accompany Mrs. Bhanwra for pleading up their case more efficaciously.
Reiterating the firm commitment of the state government to ensure the well being of every section of the society, the Chief Minister impressed upon the agitating unemployed EGS/ AIE teachers of the state to call off their agitation in larger public interest. He said that the state government was fully sympathetic towards them and every step would be taken to bail them out from the crisis. Mr. Badal said that rather than creating inconvenience to the public and even to themselves through such stirs, the unemployed EGS/ AIE teachers should support the state government for solving their problems in accordance to the stipulated norms. Prominent amongst those present in the meeting included Cabinet Minister Mr. Sikander Singh Maluka, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. SK Sandhu, Principal Secretary Education Mrs. Anjali Bhanwra, Financial Commissioner Rural Development Mr. Mandeep Singh Sandhu, Principal Secretary Social Security Mr. Jagpal Singh, Special Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister Mr. KJS Cheema and Director General School Education Mr. Kumar Rahul.