Port Blair, Aug 26: Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, PCC President in a letter addressed to the Secretary (Education). A & N Islands has invited the attention of the administration to his earlier correspondences addressed to the Lt. Governor, A & N Islands and Director of Education , A & N Administration regarding issue of orders for the re-engagement of Part Time Employees such as Craft Instructors, Pre Primary Teachers, Pre –Primary Ayahs/ Safai Karamchari and Attendants at various schools located in A&N Islands for the academic year 2018-19 and also various grievances viz. experience/service weightage for securing regular government appointment, Leave entitlement, Annual increase in wages, Grant of Maternity leave, deduction of EPF subscription etc.
Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma stated that Order re-engaging the Part Time Craft Instructors and Part Time Attendants during the academic year 2018-19 has been recently issued. However, orders re-engaging the Part Time Pre Primary Teachers and Pre –Primary Ayahs/ Safai Karamchari at various schools located in A&N Islands for the academic year 2018-19 are yet to be issued even though they are engaged and working continuously since the commencement of the academic year 2018-19 in the schools where they were engaged during the previous academic year. Due to non-issue of re-engagement orders mentioning name of the appointees by the competent authority, the wage/salary bills are not being prepared for these Part Time Employees despite rendering services since commencement of the current academic year i.e. from July 2018. This has resulted in non-payment of wages /salary to these Part Time Employees for the month of July 2018 and most likely they may not be receiving the wages/salary for the month of August also in time. Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma emphasized that as these Part Time Employees are disengaged during the summer vacation period of the school i.e. for May & June 2018, delay in making payment of wages for July and August 2018 has resulted in nil earning of income for four months in a stretch which has caused severe financial hardship to these poor low paid part time employees.
The PCC President requested the Secretary (Education),A & N Administration that specific re-engagement orders for remaining categories of part time employees/workers engaged as Pre Primary Teachers and Pre –Primary Ayahs/ Safai Karamchari at various schools may also be issued with retrospective effect i.e. from the commencement of present academic year 2018-19 at the earliest which will entail payment of monthly wages to these Part Time Employees for the service which they are rendering at various schools since commencement the academic year 2018-19.
In his letter Mr. Kuldeep further stated that the wages for these Part Time Employees viz. Craft Instructors, Pre Primary Teachers, Pre –Primary Ayahs/ Safai Karamchari and Attendants even after serving the Administration continuously for decades is very meager and not commensurating with the job they are performing. Their wages was last increased during the year 2016 with Part Time Craft Instructors & Pre Primary Teachers being paid Rs.10500/- per month and the Part Time Pre –Primary Ayahs/ Safai Karamchari and Attendants being paid Rs.8500/- per month with no engagement during the summer vacation. Shri Kuldeep invited the attention of the administration that, considering the increase in price index and higher cost of living in these Islands, the wages for persons engaged as DRMs by different departments of the Administration under various schedule of employment have been substantially increased since 01.01.2018. He requested the Secretary (Edu) that similar consideration for upward revision of the wages may also be given in respect of these Part Time Employees who are continuously employed by the Directorate of Education, A&N Administration in various schools of the Islands for past several years and subsequently necessary orders to this effect may be issued at the earliest.
