Cong lends support to agitating SSA contractual teachers

Extending full support to agitating Sarva Shikhsa Abhiyan (SSA) contractual teachers demanding renewal of their services in EDMC, Congress today said that it would seek intervention of Lt Governor Najeeb Jung to address their issues.
"Whatever the path they (teachers) adopt to take their agitation to logical end, Congress will support them at every step" Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee President (DPCC) President, Ajay Maken said.
He was addressing a group of protesting teachers, who were hired by the East Delhi Municipal Corporation (EDMC) under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) at the civic body's headquarters in Patparganj here.
The teachers have been protesting for nearly two weeks now and some of them have also gone on hunger strike for the last few days.

He said that they (Congress members and teachers) would call on Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung and seek his intervention in the matter to address the problems of teachers.
Maken also used the opportunity to take a swipe at Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and alleged that the AAP government could help the teachers as it has no paucity of funds and resources but was "not doing so".

"If Kejriwal's government spends Rs 526 crore for their publicity, then they should not have any problems in spending a few lakhs of rupees for the teachers" Maken said, claiming, that teachers did not face any such problem during the Sheila Dikshit-led government.

According to a senior official of the EDMC, about 500 teachers were hired by the civic body under the SSA scheme, and that renewal of their contract was at the discretion of the EDMC.
Maken, however, claimed that that renewal of the contract was the "right" of such teachers and even Ministry of Human Resources Development has given a "nod to the renewal of their contract on June 26."
The senior Congress leader further claimed the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on July 13 had "renewed" the contract of contractual teachers appointed under centrally- sponsored SSA scheme.
A contractual teacher Umakant, who had been posted at Municipal Corporation Primary School Dyalpur, said, they had a meeting with EDMC's Mayor and Commissioner but they have not addressed their issues.

"The Mayor told us, whether our contracts could be renewed on humanitarian ground" he said. Similarly, Commissioner told us that there have been "no vacant posts" and they have been facing "paucity of fund".
The strike was, however, called off later in the evening, after senior officials and East Delhi Mayor Harshdeep Malhotra assured the agitating teachers that, "they would be accommodated" as per the requirement, the senior EDMC official said.