Darjeeling: The Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA) started handing over appointment letters to voluntary teachers in different schools in the GTA area thereby regularising these teachers.
In the first phase, appointment letters were handed over to 59 teachers of 12 upper primary schools.
Regularisation of voluntary teachers has been a long-standing demand in the Hills. Many of these teachers have been working for years and many are on the verge of touching the retirement age.
"Process has also started for regularisation of 313 verified voluntary teachers of higher secondary schools. Ten senior teachers of the higher secondary schools were handed appointment letters. Likewise based on seniority the other teachers will also be regularised based on the 313 verified voluntary teachers' list which will be reviewed," said Anit Thapa, chairman, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration.
Incidentally, the hill Opposition parties had earlier alleged that certain names had been included in the verified list of persons who were near and dear ones to the political leaders in power and are not as per the prescribed criteria.
The regularisation of voluntary teachers had found a prominent place in the GJM's (Binoy Tamang faction) election manifesto. The GJM lost both the Lok Sabha and the Assembly by-poll in Darjeeling.
Noted here, before the parliamentary elections the state government had issued a notification for the regularisation of 313 verified voluntary teachers in high and higher secondary schools; 59 voluntary teachers for 12 new setup upper primary schools along with 4 teachers whose appointment process had been stopped to be reappointed and to recognize 14 schools.
"Owing to the model code of conduct clamped at the time of elections the process was kept on hold. With elections being over we have started the process. We also appeal to teachers to engage in this noble profession with dedication and sincerity in order to reclaims Darjeeling's status as an education hub," Thapa said.
The appointment letters were handed over at Lal Kothi, the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Secretariat in Darjeeling in the presence of Amar Singh Rai, Chairman, Uttar Banga Unnayan Parshad and Chief Advisor, GTA along with Pran Govinda Sarkar, district inspector of schools.