Latest news with #GovernmentOrder149
The Hindu
13-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Plea for inclusion of substitute health workers in contributory pension scheme
Substitute health workers who were recruited to the government medical college hospitals through employment exchange starting from 1991, citing Government Orders and court orders, demand their inclusion in the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). Regarding their demands and the development that unfolded over the years for including them in the CPS, the Tamil Nadu Government Medical Department All Workers Sanitation Workers and Nursing Assistant Union have submitted a report with the State committee head Gagandeep Singh Bedi. M. Venkatachalam, founder president of the union, narrating the events, said that starting from 1991, 384 'substitute health workers' were recruited for assisting the Group-D workers employed in the medical college hospitals in Chennai, Thanjavur, Tiruchi, Salem, Chengalpattu and Coimbatore. Their recruitment was to discharge the work of the Group D workers when they were absent for e duty. As their positions were deemed temporary, several associations and unions demanded service regularisation, pension and leave benefits for them. Heeding to their demands, the State government, in 2007, through Government Order 149 made the 384 workers permanent with a condition that they must have completed 10 years of service by January 1, 2006. As the workers' services were regularised only after 2003, the year notification for new pension scheme was given, the government said they would be included under CPS. After that, G.O. 408 was issued by the State Finance Department in 2009 to include five years of service before 2007, the year when they were made permanent, to consider them as eligible for pension. Following this the association moved the Madras High Court for including them in the old pension scheme as it was the government which failed to make them permanent for those who had joined the service even back in 1991, Mr. Venkatachalam said. As the government went against the order, a two-judge bench of Madras HC ordered the substitute workers to be included in CPS itself, he pointed out. But, in the aftermath of the court orders, the government again denied pension citing the CPS condition that the substitute workers have not completed 30 years of service, he said. It was true that the workers have not fulfilled the 30 years service condition and that could not be their fault as it was the State which recruited them as temporary workers. 'If the same government has made them permanent seven to eight years ago, then they will be declared eligible,' he added. How could they bear the burden of the government's mistake. Even after several developments which assured the 384 workers their employment rights, the State government was yet to provide them their pension, he said. By recording the pleas of the workers and their grievances, a report had been submitted to the CPS committee with the belief that their demands would be considered for their inclusion, he said.
The Hindu
01-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Candidates who cleared TET in 2013 plead for priority in appointment of govt. school teachers in the new academic year
A group of Tamil Nadu Teacher Eligibility Test (TNTET) qualified secondary grade teachers (SGT) on Thursday urged Chief Minister M.K. Stalin and Minister for School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi to appoint them to the vacancies in the schools by the new academic year. At a press conference held here, representatives of the TET SGTs from various districts, who had cleared the exam since 2013, appealed to the authorities concerned to prioritise their appointment. 'On Labour Day, we appeal to the government to fill the elementary school posts lying vacant since 2013. At least 40% of the qualified candidates are in the 40-45 age group. We have passed the qualifying exams after studying two types of school syllabi. Despite this, we are unemployed. The Teachers Recruitment Board (TRB), when calling for certificate verification, overlooks us because of marks-based assessment criteria. We do not have the skills or the mindset to write yet another qualifying examination. Despite our educational qualification, we are forced to take up any available job to make ends meet,' said E.R. Tamilvalavan, coordinator of the group. The TRB announced 2,728 staff vacancies on July 21, 2024. There are 4,460 government schools with 5,804 vacancies in the State. 'In the 2023-24 academic year, over 1 lakh children were admitted to elementary schools. If the authorities want to improve school education, they must increase the number of posts and recruit more teachers. TET candidates like us could be considered on the basis of our seniority and subject knowledge,' said Hemalatha, a science teacher. The 2013 TET SGTs also urged the authorities to rescind the Government Order 149, which mandates an additional examination for teachers.
