PTA teachers to be regularised soon: Virbhadra

About 6,318 PTA teachers in Himachal Pradesh, appointed by Parent-Teacher Associations in schools and colleges would be regularised in 18 months time after they become contractual employees, Chief Minsiter Virbhadra Singh said today.
Singh said during Question Hour that as per the policy framed by the government these teachers appointed in 2006 would be made contractual employees on completion of 8 years of service and their regularisation would be done on serving as contractual employees for 18 months keeping in view their qualifications and experience.
"The government will also take back all the PTA teachers, who were removed from service for some reason during previous BJP regime," he said.

Earlier, the state government had announced to bring the PTA teachers on contract after completion of eight years continuous service since 2006, making them eligible for contract appointment next year, and regularisation in another one and a half year.
Replying to a question of Jai Ram Thakur and Randhir Sharma (BJP) and Asha Kumari (Cong), Singh said as per the promise made by the Congress, the government has formulated a policy to first bring the PTA teachers on contract and thereafter regularise them in a short period of 18 months.
"Their regularisation will not face any hurdle as they are qualified and have long teaching experience," he said.

Singh said none of the PTA teachers would be affected by the conditions of educational classifications as per RTE (Right to Education) as they are qualified.

He said the PTA teaches were recruited as there was dire need and it was not seen that they were from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes or OBC category.
Singh said the previous BJP government had victimised the PTA teachers and tried to crush their agitation.
Jai Ram Thakur said the Congress had made big promises to the PTA teachers during election and had misused them by even making them polling agents. "Eight months have passed since the Congress returned to power in the state but the PTA teachers have not been regularised," he said.