Hyderabad: Ego clashes delay salaries of Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya teachers

Hyderabad: A tussle between two officials in the Telangana Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan (TSSA) has become a bane to about 100 teachers working in the Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya (KGBV) residential schools.

According to sources, following the due process, TSSA project officials had appointed teachers during February and March 2020.

Later, the TSSA officials sent the file for clearance from the Finance department. But, raising a query, the finance wing officials demanded the TSSA officials to justify the appointments made ahead of the Covid-19.

Despite the clarifications given by the TSSA, the Finance wing officials were reportedly unrelenting. As a result, about 100 teachers had to go without salaries for the past 16 months.

This issue remained unaddressed despite drawing the attention of the officials at various levels in the Education department, and also the Education Minister.

Speaking to The Hans India, Telangana State United Teachers Federation (TSUTF) secretary Chava Ravi said, "the teachers were deprived of their salaries more due to the ego clashes between the officials within the TSSA."

It was against this backdrop that the issue was proposed to be resolved at the project meeting of the TSSA. However, the date and schedule of the TSSA state meeting could not be finalised so far.

"We have been knocking the doors of every official from the district to state-level and submitting representations. Everyone is assuring and showering sympathy. But nothing has been done so far," said N Lakshman (name changed), a KGBV teacher.

TSUTF president K Jangaiah said the issue has been taken to the notice of the State Director of School Education. "We hope to get a positive response from the authorities given the plight of the teachers and their families facing troubles for the past 16 months," he added.

That apart, they have also raised the issue of applying the enhanced salaries to the KGBV and other residential schools' staff as per the implementation of the recent pay commission by the State government.