‘Prerak’ teachers fume over pending dues in election-bound Uttar Pradesh
Originally hired as part of a literacy program for adults, ‘prerak’ teachers in Uttar Pradesh have been asked to perform various auxiliary duties but they haven’t received their payments for almost three years now. With the election fervour running high in the state, the protesting teachers have intensified their struggle for the payment of their services. Details here.
Former prerak teachers protesting against the non-payment of their dues in Lucknow. File photo
Shahjahanpur, Uttar Pradesh
About seven years ago, 39-year-old Durgesh Singh was appointed as a shiksha prerak (education motivator) on a contractual basis. His contractual appointment was under the ambit of an adult literacy scheme called Saakshar Bharat Mission started by the central government in 2009.
Under the terms of the contract, Singh, who is a resident of Bamhaura village of Sitapur district’s Kasmanda block, was supposed to be paid Rs 2,000 per month for his service. But he regrets the day when he was appointed as a shiksha prerak.
“I was originally appointed to educate adults who could not attain literacy. But during the course of my contract, I was also asked to work in the Swachh Bharat Mission, polio vaccination, and election duty. I haven’t been paid for 40 months of service. Finally in March, 2018, my contract was terminated,” the 39-year-old told Gaon Connection.
A post-graduate by qualification, Singh never ventured out of his village to look for a job as he hoped to get permanent government employment while working as a prerak. In the meantime, he exceeded the age for selection in the government services.
Singh is not alone in his struggle to get the payment from the government. As many as 94,360 teachers like him await their payments. As per the scheme, 60 per cent of the payment is to be financed by the centre while the state government accounts for the remaining 40 per cent.
The protesting preraks, more than half of whom are women teachers, demand continuation of their contract along with the payment of their services.
As per Shambhubhan Singh, a director in the state’s education department, a sum total of Rs. 4012.5 million worth if payments are pending with the central and the state governments. When asked about whether along with the payment of the dues, would the teachers will also be appointed again on the contractual basis, Singh said that it was a target-oriented scheme and it is unlikely to be revived.
“In 2009-10, the appointment of contractual service started and the scheme wrapped up on December 31, 2018.We have asked for funds from the central government over the years but due to insufficient funds released, the payments are still pending,” Singh told Gaon Connection.
“We are doing an audit of the entire remaining dues. The audit’s report will be sent to the centre after which the Union government is supposed to release the payment. Then, the payments will be released,” he added.
What is the adult literacy scheme?
The Saakshar Bharat is a centrally sponsored nation-wide literacy scheme which was launched by former prime minister Manmohan Singh on the occasion of International Literacy Day on September 8, 2009.
It was launched in the wake of the findings of the 2001 census which showed that the literacy rate in India was 75.85 per cent for males and 54.16 per cent for females. Female literacy was the determining factor for the implementation of the scheme at the district level.
“A district, including a new district carved out of an erstwhile district that had adult female literacy rate of 50 per cent or below, as per 2001 census, is eligible for coverage under the Saakshar Bharat programme,” the scheme’s official website mentions.
Fate of shiksha preraks
While the government officials have been citing bureaucratic reasons behind the non-payment of the dues of the preraks, the fate of these teachers is hanging in uncertainty.
Mamta Devi is the leader of a prerak union in the Airayan block of Fatehpur district in Uttar Pradesh. She is aghast at the non-payment of the dues and sudden termination of the contract of thousands of teachers like her.
“If the step motherly treatment meted out to us doesn’t end, we will not leave any stone unturned in opposing the government in the upcoming elections,” she told Gaon Connection.
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A former prerak and a resident of Shahjahanpur who didn’t want to be named told Gaon Connection that she carried her infant to work while it rained and it is disheartening to see the government’s indifference.
“We even used to spend money from our own pockets to get the government work done. Payments have never been on time. And now they are pending,” she added.
Meanwhile,the issue of prerak’s pending dues has become a poll-issue in the state which is gearing up for elections that are supposed to be held in February-March, next year.
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Sudhanshu Bajpayi, state spokesperson of the Congress party told Gaon Connection that if voted to power, his party will ensure that these protesting preraks will be appointed as state government employees.
“Also, all their pending dues will be paid without further delay,” he added.
Also, Samajwadi Party, which is the principal opposition party in the state has repeatedly targeted the ruling BJP for its alleged inability to pay the preraks.
“The government which pays crores of rupees on advertisements is somehow not able to pay the dues of the workers who have worked hard for their payments,” Manoj Singh Kaka told Gaon Connection.