Teachers Condemn Humiliating Remuneration for Panchayat Poll Work
The federation said that staff for the remaining two phases be paid as per the norms prescribed by the SEC. and the differential amount released to those who had completed their first phase duty.
Hyderabad: The Telangana United Teachers Federation on December 12, accused the panchayat raj department of humiliating teachers and officials by fixing what it called a meagre remuneration for duties performed during the gram panchayat elections, with payments ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,500 for 10 days of work that included polling and training.
Pointing out that it came to less than Rs 200, the federation said: “Fixing such a paltry remuneration for 10 days of continuous election duty is nothing short of an insult to teachers and officials who discharged their responsibilities round the clock.”
According to them, stage 1 returning officers were paid Rs 3,500 for the 10-day period, assistant returning officers Rs 2,200, and stage 2 returning officers Rs 2,000. It said that the Telangana State Election Commission (SEC), through a letter dated November 29, had directed that officials on election duty be paid TA and DA per day along with one-third additional DA. The panchayat raj department memo of December 10 with regard to payments went against the Election Commission’s directions, the federation stated.
The federation flagged the wide disparity between returning officers of stages 1 and 2 and said the issue had immediate consequences on the ground. During the first phase of elections that concluded on Thursday, teachers in several gram panchayats refused to accept the remuneration, while in some districts even the reduced amounts were not paid.
The federation said that staff for the remaining two phases be paid as per the norms prescribed by the SEC. and the differential amount released to those who had completed their first phase duty.
