Rehbar-e-Khel teachers demand hike in salaries; cut in probation period

Srinagar, Oct 20  : Rehbar-e-Khel Physical Teachers on Thursday demanded a hike in salaries and reduction in their probation period from seven years to two years.

Pertinently, the ReK PET scheme was introduced by the erstwhile state government of J&K and subsequently 3000 teachers were appointed. As per the scheme, ReK teachers are receiving mere Rs. 4000 per month besides seven years’ probation.

Scores of Rehbar-e-Khel teachers while talking to news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that they are unable to make their two ends meet and the government must cut the probation period to two years from seven years and make them at par with SRO 202 employees.

“We are being paid a meager amount of Rs. 3000-4000 per month, which is paltry. In these hard times, as the market is getting dearer day in and day out,” they said. “We are forced to spend from our pocket when we are posted at distant places,” they said, adding that they can’t even fulfil basic needs given their meager salary.

They said that all candidates have been rendering their services mostly in the government schools for the past few years. “But over the years, candidates have become the worst victim of exploitation as they are paid just Rs 100 a day,” they said. “We are working on peanuts despite putting our best to regulate sports activities throughout J&K, the department of youth services and sports has made a remarkable progress in different sports activities like in recently conducted LG’s Trophy”

The teachers said that they performed duties as frontline workers during COVID-19 pandemic as well as in the election process.

Most of these employees are highly qualified having qualified prestigious exams like NET, SET and JRF and some possess PhD degrees and some are gold medallists as well. “But for the government, qualified lots are not even at par with unskilled laborers who are paid more than Rs 500 a day. We all are well qualified and have repeatedly requested authorities to look into the matter but to no avail”, they said.

They requested government for redressal of their demands of regularisation, enhancement in monthly salary and reduction in probationary period so that they won’t suffer any more—(KNO)