TET teachers in Tripura agitate, demand regular scale

From A Correspondent

Agartala, April 29: Teacher's appointed after qualifying in Teachers' Eligibility Test in Tripura is on the warpath to protest against appointing them in fixed pay instead of regular scale.

Few hundreds of teachers gathered in Agartala and met in a deputation with the director of education and submitted a memorandum demanding sanction of regular scale from the date of their appointment.

The director could not give any assurance to the aggrieved teachers and said he will send the matter to the higher authorities. This has failed to satisfy the teachers who said they will approach the Chief Minister and education minister seeking justice and at the same time considering a legal action to establish their right.

The first batch of TET qualified teachers were appointed in December last and were given a monthly fixed pay of Rs 7,970 only. The aggrieved teachers said Tripura is the lone exception where TET qualified teachers were appointed in a fixed pay.

Tapan Chakraborty, education minister, said the general policy of the Tripura government was to appoint teachers in a fixed pay who will get a regular scale only after completing five years of service. The same policy has been applied in case of the TET qualified Teachers, he said.

The aggrieved teachers rejected the 'general policy' theory and said it can't be appliers in case of TET educated teachers. 'We fulfilled all conditions for appointment as teacher. We have 50% marks having B Ed degree and qualified in TET examitions. After that the government has no right to tell us to work as fixed pay employees', said one aggrieved teacher.

He said what is more punishing is that most of these qualified teachers have been posted in far flung places and a major part of their salary is being spent for transportation. 'How we will support our families', he questioned.