The All Tripura Madrasa Teachers Association met in a deputation with the Sadar School Inspector on Wednesday and submitted a 6-point demand list pertaining to demand for equal pay for equal work.
“We the Madrasa Teachers working under the SPQEM/SPEMM scheme have been deprived of several benefits including benefits under the 7th Pay Commission as announced by the State Government,” said general secretary of the Sadar Committee of the Association Mukhlisur Rahman.
“We are demanding equal pay for equal work including all the benefits provided to the Samagra Shikhsha (erstwhile SSA) contractual teacher. Also we demanded to bring 129 SPQEM/SPEMM Madrasa under state Grant-in-aid Scheme along with existing teachers”, the leaders of the Association said.
Other demands included appointment teachers in vacant posts, hifher pay scale as per qualification etc.
The main demand of the Madrasa Teachers was equal pay for equal work. Even though the teachers of the Sarva Shiksha project started working much later, they are getting more opportunities in terms of salary allowance, claimed the agitators.
“We, the Madrassa teachers have been deprived of such opportunities for a long time even after doing the same work. Moreover, we have also been deprived of the benefits of the 7th pay commission announced by the state government”, Rahman alleged.
He also said people think that only religious lessons are being taught in Madrasas – however, this is not true. The SCERT syllabus is being followed like other schools in the state.
Despite the presence of many highly educated teachers among the Madrasa teachers, the government is not properly evaluating their qualifications, he alleged.
