Doda, Dec.12 : All Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh Teachers Federation aft. with Akhil Bharatyia Rashtaryia Shakshik Mahasangh today demanded removal of “huge pay anomaly of teachers and masters”. National Auditor of ABRSM & State President All Jammu Kashmir & Ladakh Teachers Federation aft. Akhil Bharatyia Rashtriya Shakshik Mahasangh, Devraj Thakur in a press interaction here today said that their counterparts in rest of the Indian union territories are “far ahead than in terms of Grade Pay and other service benefits”. He claimed that teachers in all other Union Territories of India are placed in Grade Pays between 4200 to 5000. While as, here in Jammu and Kashmir, the same teacher is placed in Grade Pay of just 2800 with a huge difference and discrimination.
Thakur alleged that they were being discriminated upon by the government by not addressing the “huge pay anomaly between several cadres in and outside the department”.
Thakur said that on 5th August 2019, with the declaration of the State of Jammu & Kashmir as the Union Territory of India, they were hopeful that the employees of the Union territory of J&K will get all the benefits of all the allowances and the pay at par with their counterparts in centre and other union territories , however nothing concrete has been done in this regard yet.
The teachers in Jammu Kashmir Union Territory has suffered a lot previously, even though the then state fixed the pay anomaly of major departments over a period of time, the pay anomaly which the teachers of J&K UT suffer has been left unattended he alleged.
Thakur said that before the 6th Pay Commission, the Masters in School Education Department, after their hard fought efforts, were getting salaries equal to the AAOs and SOs. In the 6th Pay Commission, Pay grade the teachers were paid the Pay Band of Rs 5200-20200 with Grade Pay of Rs. 2800/ which in the revised pay matrix as per seventh Pay Commission was fixed at the Basic Pay of Rs. 29200. Pay grade of masters was fixed as 9300-34800+ GP 4280 whereas the pay Grade of the AAOs and SOs was fixed 9300-34800 + GP 4600. By fixing different pay grades for AAOs/ SOs and the Master, the latter have again been discriminated.
“Further perpetuating the said Discrimination in 7th Pay Commission, the Masters have been placed at level 6E which starts with Rs. 35900 whereas the masters deserved to be placed at level 7 which starts with Rs. 44900. Due to the said Pay anomaly the Masters are suffering a loss of RS. 9000/- per month”, he said.
Thakur said that ” There is a great confusion among DDOs , Clerks and among teaching community about clarification issued by Finance Department regarding exercise of option under rule (5) of SRO 193 O.M No A/Clar(2018)-11-1110 and on basis of this clarification some DDOs had extended benefit of option of Rule(5) to teachers whose first in-situ was due up to December 2018 but many other DDOs have not extended it’s benefit to their teachers due to which junior teachers basic pay is fixed Rs 42,300 which is higher than their senior teachers (Rs 39,900 thus creating pay disparity.
Thakur said that the Hon’able Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his first address to the Union Territory of J&K post revocation of Article 370 has mentioned that the employees of the J&K UT will have benefits of all the allowances and the pay which their counterparts enjoy as employees of Central Government.
“However, nothing concrete has been done in this regard till date. Even though the then J&K state fixed the pay anomaly of employees of majority of the departments over a period of time but the pay anomaly of teachers were left unattended,” he said.
AJKLTF leader appealed Hon’able Lt. Governor of J&K Manoj Sinha , Chief Secretary of JKUT, Principal Secretary to Government school Education department, Chairman Pay Anomaly committee J&K and the other officers appointed as members of pay Anomaly committee to immediately address the long pending demands of teachers of J&K and bring them at par with Teachers of other UTs of India in respect of pay and grades.
