'Sarma should come clear on TET posts, quota'

By our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, June 25: The Anusuchito Jati Yuva-Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) and the Brihattar Guwahati Karbi Chatra Santha (BGKCS) have demanded a CBI inquiry into the scams in the Department for Development and Welfare of Scheduled Caste when Basanta Das was at the helm of affairs in it, and a clear-cut policy in the regularization of TET teachers in the State.

Talking to newsmen in the city today, AJYCP president Rubul Das said in the presence of BGKCS president Bikram Hanse: “The BJP has come to power in Assam with the party’s promise for bringing in desired changes and providing a corruption-free administration to the State. However, the government hasn’t taken any measures to put an end to corruption in the State as yet. When Basanta Das was the holding the charge of the Department of Development and Welfare of Scheduled Caste the department got Rs 500 crore from the Centre for various schemes like that of stipend for students, providing agricultural devices to farmers like tractors, handloom, power looms and yarn to women etc. However, the entire amount had been swindled. We want a CBI inquiry into this embezzlement of funds.”

Das said: “In February 2015, the WPT & BC claimed to have spent Rs 50 lakh just to erect the statue of BR Ambedkar in front of the Assam Secretariat. So far we know, only around Rs 12 lakh was spent in the project. There has been no audit of the work as yet. Basanta Das even made money in a project in the me of the architect of Indian Constitution. The minister and the officials who embezzled funds in the project should be punished.”

Reacting to Education Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s announcement for regularization of TET teachers, Das said that the two organizations hailed the move taken by the minister. “Sarma said that the jobs of 7234 TET teachers would be regularized by June 27. However, according to advertisement published on October 30, 2014 for the regularization of TET teachers by the Congress government, the number of vacant posts to be filled was 8,193 that have approval from the Department of Fince. Where have the remaining 959 posts gone? The government has to come clear on this matter,” Das said, and added: “Is the standing quota policy being maintained in this filling up of posts of TET teachers? We also welcome the minister’s statement that 30 per cent of the posts will be reserved for women candidates. However, is the department following the reservation for ST, SC, OBC and MOBC candidates in this regularization? In 2012-13 when Himanta Biswa Sarma was the Education Minister, 34510 teachers were appointed through TET without following the standing reservation policy. The issue had to be dragged to the High Court that compelled Dispur to conduct a special recruitment for SC and ST candidates.”

Das also reacted to the Education Minister’s statement that because of lack D.El.Ed certificates, it would not be possible to regularize the services of most of the TET qualified teachers of the State. “Sarma himself says that there’re 3400 seats in the regular institutions in the State for D. El.Ed course. On the contrary, there are as many as 33,000 TET qualified teachers in the State. How come these candidates can do D. El. Ed course? Dispur has to take up the matter with the Centre,” Das said.

Das further said that barring the PWD, promotion for ST and SC employees was almost regular. “In the PWD the promotion of SC and ST employees have been stalled since 2007. A selection committee was also formed for the promotion of SC and SC employees, but to no avail. We want the promotion of SC and ST employees without further delay,” Das said.