'Urge LG not to put obstacles in regularisation of teachers'

NEW DELHI: With the Delhi Cabinet having cleared the Bill for regularisation of guest teachers, the fate of 15,000 teachers lies in the hands of Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, the administrative head of the Capital. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has urged the LG to approve the decision.

"Am so happy for Guest teachers. I urge BJP n Hon'ble LG not to put any obstacle in it but to support this noble cause," Sisodia said on Twitter on Wednesday.

Delhi has around 17,000 guest teachers, of whom only 15,000 will be regularised.

The remaining teachers failed to make the cut as they did not fulfil the necessary criteria.

Earlier, the Delhi government had failed to get the approval as former LG Najeeb Jung raised the issue of teaching experience.

This year, in June, the incumbent LG Baijal issued a tender for regularisation of guest teachers, which the government asked to be revoked as the education Department was in dark about it.

Meanwhile, the BJP-led Opposition hit back at the government and alleged politicisation of the issue.

Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta said: "The Bill approved by the Kejriwal Cabinet to regularise guest teachers is devoid of administrative, financial and legal sanctions."

Gupta appealed to the government that instead of taking political decisions, where the fate of thousands of expecting teachers is concerned, it should recourse to lawful methods based on due procedure.

"During two and half years of its being in power, it has not regularised even a single employee despite poll promises," Gupta claimed.

However, BJP has said it will support passage of the bill in the Assembly.

Reiterating the same tone, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee chief Ajay Maken said that the government should be asked why it took so long to pass the bill.

He said the whole issue will turn political between allegations and counter allegations by AAP and BJP, but the guest teachers will not be benefitted.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Guest Teachers Association has welcomed the move of regularisation and said that they will meet the LG and urge him to approve the bill.

The teachers have asserted that it has been a long fight for them and have expressed the decision as the first step towards their victory.

"We have been fighting for a long time. We welcome the step by the government and in the next week we will meet the LG and urge him to approve the bill," a senior teacher of the organisation said.