Agartala, April 5 (IANS): Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar on Wednesday assured of all-out efforts to protect the interests of more than 10,000 teachers affected by the Supreme Court verdict regarding termination of their jobs. He also assured that his government will approach the Centre on the issue. "We follow Supreme Court orders... (but) we cannot wash away the future of 10,323 teachers. We will take all steps to protect their interests," Sarkar told reporters here. He was speaking after chairing a meeting of the Council of Ministers that reviewed the March 29 apex court order. Dubbing the Supreme Court order -- which upheld the Tripura High Court order in the case -- as "unexpected", the Chief Minister said : "The Cabinet decided that the state is committed to ensuring there is no disruption in educational endeavours and educational institutions function smoothly...." Accompanied by Education and Law Minister Tapan Chakraborty and Information Minister Bhanulal Saha, Sarkar said his government will approach the Human Resource Development Ministry for relaxation in age and other criteria under the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009, for the affected teachers. "The Council of Ministers reviewed the Supreme Court judgement and decided to comply with the court directions," Sarkar said. The Chief Minister said that making selections through the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) is a big challenge for all states since the set eligibility criteria are tough for aspirants. The Supreme Court on March 29 upheld the Tripura High Court order to terminate the jobs of 10,323 teachers, but allowed them to continue till December 31. The court asked the state government to frame a new Employment Policy by April 30. Quoting the apex court's order, the Chief Minister said his government had been directed to initiate fresh recruitment by May 31 and complete it by December 31. "The Supreme Court allowed all serving teachers, candidates not selected and others to participate by relaxing age limit but subject to possession of other required qualifications," Sarkar added. The Supreme Court order came on three special leave petitions filed by the Tripura government, terminated serving teachers and aggrieved job seekers. "We gave some jobs based on need and economic conditions of families, but the court turned down these criteria," Education Minister Tapan Chakraborty said. The Tripura High Court ordered the state on May 7, 2014, to frame a new Employment Policy within two months. Tripura sets up panel on government employees' salaries Responding the demands of ruling and opposition party affiliated employees bodies, the Tripura government on Wednesday set up a high-powered committee on increasing salaries and pensions for its 209,000 employees and pensioners. "A three-member Pay and Pension Revision Committee has been constituted by the cabinet for giving recommendations for revision of existing pay structure and pension for the government employees and pension holders," Chief Minister Manik Sarkar announced soon after the meeting of the council of ministers. "After the Central government acceptance of the proposals of the Seventh Pay Commission, we are also thinking to hike the salaries and pensions for the government employees and pension holders. But financial scarcities become an impediment," he told reporters. Former Chief Secretary G. K. Rao would be the Chairman of the Pay and Pension Revision Committee and Principal Secretary Sushil Kumar and Additional Secretary Debashish Modak would be the member and secretary to the committee respectively. Sarkar, who chaired the cabinet meeting, said that the committee has been asked to submit its proposals with 45 days. Meanwhile to increase salaries and pensions of the state government employees, additional amount of Rs 6 billion has been proposed in this year's budget presented by Finance Minister Bhanulal Saha in the state assembly on February 20. The employees organisations, irrespective to the affiliation of ruling and opposition parties have been demanding salaries and pensions at par with the central government employees. The Tripura government last hiked the salaries and pensions for its employees and pension holders in 2009.
