Rajasthan Teachers Demand Transfer Policy Modelled After Haryana and Odisha

Jaipur- State employees in Rajasthan specially teachers are demanding a stable and transparent transfer policy, similar to those in Haryana and Odisha.

Currently, third-grade teachers' transfers have been pending for four years, with concerns about political influence in the process.

In Haryana, teachers are transferred every five years, and in Odisha, every seven years, with the process being auto-updated upon completion of the period. Implementing such a policy in Rajasthan would ensure transparency and satisfy 95% of teachers, says teachers union leaders. Presently, in Rajasthan transfer postings are made on the basis of political desires.

The Chief Secretary of the Rajasthan Teachers' Association ( Siyaram), Naveen Sharma, highlighted various issues faced by teachers, emphasizing the need for immediate solutions in a meeting with Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma.

A copy of the memorandum was handed over, urging the inclusion of employee welfare suggestions and demands in the budget.

The Chief Minister expressed gratitude for the participation of employees in the pre-budget dialogue program and showed appreciation for their involvement.

Promotion Reservations for Differently-Abled Employees Pending for 27 Years

The organization called for the resolution of financial salary discrepancies from the Sixth and Seventh Pay Commissions, the implementation of the Khemraj Committee's beneficial recommendations, and the provision of reservation for differently-abled employees in promotions.

Additional demands included annual salary increments for employees retiring on June 30th and December 31st, four ACPs at 8, 16, 24, and 32 years, improvements in the RGHS system, a separate budget head for Sanskrit education, and the completion of stalled promotions of vice principals.

They also urged for the permanent implementation of the old pension OPS scheme, filling vacant positions of cleaning and fourth-grade staff in schools with cook cum helpers, regular salary structures for cook cum helpers and contract employees, renaming Prabodhak to teacher and senior Prabodhak to senior teacher, subject-wise teacher appointments in senior secondary schools, and exempting teachers from non-educational tasks.

Pending Promotions for Four Years Should Be Completed

The memorandum also highlighted the need to complete pending promotions from third-grade teachers to senior teachers, senior teachers to lecturers, lecturers to vice principals, vice principals to principals, and principals to DEOs, which have been pending for four years.

Immediate direct recruitment and resolution of salary discrepancies, as well as the formation of the eighth pay commission, were also demanded.

Review of CRS Mandatory Retirement Scheme to Prevent Misuse

Arun Vyas of the teachers' union mentioned additional demands such as increasing the gratuity amount from 20 lakh to 25 lakh, reducing the pensionable service period from 25 years to 20 years, assuring the implementation of OPS for government employees, providing rural allowance to curb transfer requests, reviewing the CRS mandatory retirement scheme to prevent misuse, and recruiting assistant and cleaning staff, especially fourth-grade positions in schools.

Other demands included reviewing the Mahatma Gandhi schools and issuing approval for positions, completing pending promotions from the past three to four years, filling vacancies through direct recruitment and promotions, and forming an employee welfare board.

They also demanded four promotions instead of three, at 7, 14, 21, and 28 years instead of 9, 18, and 27 years, ACP on three-child exemption, equal benefits for computer instructors as third-grade teachers, and providing qualification enhancement opportunities for lab assistants as before.