In yet another instance of infighting in departments of the Trinamool Congress government, the West Bengal State Council of Vocational Education and Training president Rudranil Ghosh entered into a verbal spat with the Minister of the Department of Technical Education and Training Ujjal Biswas over the demands of agitating teachers of vocational training institutes and functioning of the Council.
This has made the future of about 2 lakh students and 16,000 contractual teachers of approximately 3,000 vocational training institutes West Bengal uncertain.
Mr. Ghosh was appointed as the president of the Council at the behest of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in May last year.
Mr. Ghosh claimed that since he took over, the Council Committee, a crucial decision making body of the Council, had not been formed. “The Council has repeatedly written to the Minister concerned (Mr. Biswas), but did not get any certain response from him,” he told The Hindu here on Sunday.
Mr. Ghosh questioned Mr. Biswas’ reported claim that the post of president of the Council had lost legal validity as in a Bill passed in the Legislative Assembly, it had been merged with the West Bengal State Council of Vocational Education and Training.
“The Bill (West Bengal State Council of Technical and Vocational Education and Skill Development Bill, 2013) was passed in 2013. Why it has not been enforced as yet,” asked Mr. Ghosh.
Vocational Education Forum (West Bengal), an organisation of teachers of vocational institutes, had been demanding pay hike as well as for making the contractual teachers of these institutes permanent employees. They also demanded availability of casual and maternity leaves for such teachers. The president of the Forum’s Central Committee Arup Kumar Guha said that the present salary of vocational teachers -- Rs.40 to Rs.270 per day – “is grossly inadequate”.
Mr. Ghosh described the teachers’ demand as “humane”, adding that “it has to be treated with respect”.
Mr. Ghosh said since the Minister “does not reply” to his mails he cannot take the teachers’ and the students’ problem further. When contacted, Mr. Biswas said: “I am at a programme and will not comment on the matter.” Recently, the TMC leaders have not only questioned the party’s actions, but also criticised its top leadership. This comes at a time when the party is rattled with the defection of Minister Manjula Krishna Thakur and the CBI’s summon to general secretary Mukul Roy in relation to the multi-crore Saradha scam.
“The teachers’ demand are humane and have to be treated with respect”
