PORVORIM
Around 200 contractual vocational teachers from higher secondary schools across Goa met Director of Education Shailesh Zingade to follow up on their August 28 memorandum seeking regularisation. St Andre MLA Viresh Borker, activists Swapnesh Sherlekar and Adv Ajay Prabhugaonkar accompanied them.
The teachers urged the Education Department and State government to consider their demand sympathetically. Prabhugaonkar said Zingade termed their demands reasonable but cited lack of budgetary provision. Zingade reportedly agreed to forward the memorandum to Chief Minister Pramod Sawant. If no decision is taken by September 30, the teachers will plan further action, Prabhugaonkar said.
The teachers said they were recruited through the prescribed process and have served for five to 30 years, with many completing over 10 years continuously. Despite clean records and dedicated service, they remain contractual employees, depriving them of benefits including social welfare, health insurance, loans, job security, leave and accidental insurance.
They cited Sawant’s recent statement that those completing 10 years would be considered for permanent posts. The memorandum also cited the Supreme Court’s Jaggo v Union of India judgment on considering lengthy, uninterrupted service in essential functions while examining regularisation claims.
