KL Report
SRINAGAR
Scores of Senior Lecturers Wednesday alleged that Minister for Education, Tara Chand for his political interests is trying to violate the existing norms and is pressurizing the Public Service Commission to amend the rules so that Schedule Caste and Schedule Tribe lecturers could be adjusted as Principals for different Higher Secondary Schools of the State.
They said that only those Senior lecturers could be promoted as Principals who have three years service as lecture. “All the senior lecturers with 3 years service belong to open category. No lecturer from SC/ST category qualifies for the post of Principal as per existing norms,” the lecturers told CNS.
They said that Minister of Education for his political gains is pressurizing PSC to amend the existing norms so that SC/ST lecturers may be made eligible for the post of Principals and for this purpose, Chairman PSC shot a letter vide reference number PSC/RR/EDU/105/2009 dated Aug 28, 2013 to the Secretary to Government of Jammu and Kashmir School Education Department.
The letter issued by PSC to Secretary Education suggests the department to reduce the service tenure of Senior lecturer from existing 3 years to 2 years for promotions to the post of Principal. In his reply, the Secretary Education vide letter number Edu/Gaz-A/74/2006 dated 12-9-2013 says that the suggestion made by the Commission do not fulfill the requirement as per the existing School Education (Gazetted) Service Recruitment Rules.
The Senior lecturers said that despite qualifying for the posts of Principal, the department did not promote them. “It is quite possible that present Minister is waiting for the ‘amendments’ so that he could adjust his blue eyed SC/ST people,” they told CNS.
They said that Higher Secondary Schools across the State of Jammu and Kashmir are suffering from want of Principals which has led to serious implications. There are about 150 Higher Secondary Schools which are without Principals. In Jammu Division the number is 58 while in Kashmir 92 Higher secondary Schools have been deprived from Principals which as a result has led to deterioration of education system in the State.
Minister for Education, Tara Chand told CNS that how could he change the rules single handedly. “I am not pressurizing PSC which is an autonomous body. No letter has been written on my behest and I have nothing to do with it,” he said.
Secretary Education, Hardesh Singh told CNS that he does not know anything about it. When asked the letter contains his initials, he said without seeing the letter he can’t comment on the issue.
