Srinagar, March 6: The Jammu and Kashmir Teachers Forum (JKTF), affiliated with the All India Secondary Teachers Federation (AISTF), on Thursday called on Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK) and assured full support in war against corruption in the department.
An official spokesperson of the forum said they have taken a strong stance against alleged administrative inefficiencies and corruption in the education sector. He said a high-level delegation, led by Chairman Showkat Ali Beig, met with Director School Education Kashmir (DSEK), Dr. G.N. Itoo, in Srinagar and submitted a memorandum outlining urgent reforms needed to protect teachers’ rights and improve the system.
The memorandum called for addressing staff shortages, ensuring timely promotions, streamlining transfers, and eliminating favoritism and corruption within the department.
The forum emphasized the need for empowering district and sectoral officers, implementing a structured transfer policy, and ensuring teachers in hard zones are transferred back to soft zones within a fixed timeframe.
The delegation also demanded an end to ad-hocism by regularly updating seniority lists and holding Departmental Promotion Committee (DPC) meetings twice a year.
To curb corruption and bureaucratic delays, JKTF strongly advocated the introduction of an E-Filing System for service-related matters to reduce human intervention and bribery.
Teachers also called for granting Drawing and Disbursing Officer (DDO) powers to institutions to prevent delays in salary disbursal. Additionally, the forum urged reforms in the Midday Meal (MDM) scheme, suggesting that NGOs handle its implementation rather than burdening teachers.
Spokesperson said Other demands included the regularization of CPWs, the repatriation of teachers from non-teaching assignments, and the timely release of pending payments, including winter tutorial dues from 2019-20.
While appreciating the DSEK’s recent efforts in making record promotions and improving transparency, JKTF Chairman Showkat Ali Beig issued a stern warning against corruption within the education system.
He directed JKTF leaders across the Union Territory to actively fight bribery and favoritism, vowing to expose anyone engaged in corrupt practices.
General Secretary Mir Bashir Ahmad reaffirmed JKTF’s commitment to a “zero-tolerance policy” against corruption and declared a “War Against Corruption.” He stated that the forum would not allow officials to exploit the transfer process for personal gains and emphasized the need for a “Teacher-Friendly Transfer Policy.”
“If needed, we are prepared to take a tough stand to safeguard our teachers’ rights. However, we also expect every member to stand with us in eliminating corruption and giving their best in classrooms,” Mir Bashir asserted.
The delegation included Provincial President (Kashmir) Irfan Nazeer, Vice President Mehraj Ud Din Zargar, UT Press & Publicity Incharge M. Ashraf Khan, and senior leaders Bashir Ahmad Thoker, Gulzar Ahmad, and Bashir Ahmad Paddar. The JKTF pledged full cooperation with the Directorate to ensure a fair, transparent, and accountable education system in Jammu and Kashmir.
