UTF demands roadmap for pending problems

Rajamahendravaram: UTF (United Teachers Federation) State President N Venkateswarlu and General Secretary KSS Prasad demanded the government to address the mounting financial issues in the education sector and announce a clear roadmap for resolving pending salary payments of teachers and employees.

As part of the UTF state committee’s protest programme (Poru Bata), an educational conference was held at Venkateswara Anam Kala Kendram in Rajamahendravaram on Sunday. UTF State Secretary N Aruna Kumari presided over the event.

Speaking on the occasion, General Secretary Prasad criticised both the previous and current governments for neglecting salary and benefit arrears. He stated that the previous government left unpaid dues of Rs 20,000 crore, and the current coalition government is following the same trend, increasing the backlog to Rs 30,000 crore. He urged the government to clear these pending payments immediately.

Prasad also demanded the announcement of a 29% Interim Relief (IR) and the formation of the 12th Pay Revision Commission (PRC). Additionally, he called for the immediate implementation of the old pension scheme for teachers recruited under the 2003 DSC, as per the central government’s directive. The government should also clarify the timeline for the disbursement of pending Dearness Allowance (DA), PRC arrears, surrender leaves, and medical reimbursements, he added. He warned that the struggle would continue until the issues were resolved.

UTF State President Venkateswarlu emphasised that teachers should actively work to revive village schools and conduct awareness sessions with students and parents. He expressed concerns that the government is planning to shut down many schools in rural areas under the guise of model schools. He urged the government to implement the Kothari Commission report and criticised the policies of NEP-2020, stating that they are undermining public education.

He also accused the government of making policy changes that favour ruling-class interests rather than genuine reforms. If the current negligent approach towards budget allocations continues, thousands of government schools may shut down, he warned. He further pointed out that, according to official records, 50,000 teacher posts have already been abolished.

Speaking at the event, MLC for Graduates from East and West Godavari districts, Illa Venkateswara Rao, urged the ruling authorities to prioritise public education policies. He stressed the need for electoral reforms, criticising the influence of caste, religion, and financial incentives in elections. He also expressed concerns over the Central government’s governance, likening it to a blend of religious extremism and foreign market-driven policies.

Teacher MLC from East and West Godavari districts, Borra Gopi Murthy, demanded the revocation of GO 117 and the resolution of issues such as school mergers and the continuation of dual-medium education in schools. He warned that if these demands were not met, protests would escalate.

As a mark of tribute, participants garlanded portraits of Bhagat Singh and UTF movement leaders Comrade Appari Venkataswamy and AV Suryanarayana Raju.

UTF artistes performed revolutionary songs, energizing the gathering.

Several key UTF leaders, including State Secretary Thotakura Chakravarthy, K Sridevi, and district leaders P Jayakar, A Shareef, Surendra, MTV Subbarao, CH Suribabu, KVV Nageswara Rao, Vijayarama Raju, Ramabhadram, and Krishna, participated in

the event.