Jahangeer Ganaie
Srinagar, Aug 4: Jammu and Kashmir Vocational Trainers continue their protests for fourth consecutive day demanding job policy and removal of vocational training partners as they have no role in vocational education
They said that Vocational Trainers (VTs) were appointed by a committee having representatives of both the state government and the VTPs through a proper procedure of selection / screening (Written and Interview) after examining their respective relevant Technical and Professional degrees along with the required experiences and desired skills under the strict set of guidelines by MHRD and supervision of Samagra Shiksha Department erstwhile RMSA.
“This is fully Government funded project wherein the policies are framed by Gol and the same is controlled and monitored by the Samagra Shiksha Department, a government department at UT level, then why did the government implemented this project through VTPS, where the role of VTPS is negligible. Therefore, the services of VTPs were discontinued in Year 2018 unfortunately these VTPs were brought back in the programme. It’s only we the VT’s who are doing all the necessary tasks at ground level and against which we are getting meager and scarce salary and insecure future, while as, the VTPs are generating a good amount of income from this at our stakes,” they said.
They further added that there are nearly 1100 Vocational Trainer’s, who along with their respective families are suffering and traumatized every day without seeing any secure future ahead. Some of the VT’s have even crossed age bar limit and some are at the verge of crossing age bar, hence this leads them to serious psychological problems moreover we have no transfer policies.
They further added that the Samagra Shiksha have already discontinued the services of private companies in the year 2018 surprisingly they were again involved in Vocational education in 2019. “On 11th May 2022 an order was by SPD Samagra for the recommendation of implementing vocational education without the involvement of Private companies which has not been implemented yet besides this it is pertinent to mention that there is a provision in the guidelines framed by MHRD that Vocational Trainers can be hired directly by government as contractuals under the discretion of the concerned UT/State head & for that another order is yet to be implemented which was issued by the SPD Samagra this year on 11th May 2022.
Lieutenant Governor Jammu and Kashmir has already announced in the Awaam Ki Awaaz Programme, that a proper job policy will be framed soon for Vocational Trainer’s to secure their future,” they said.
They further added that the role of VTPs at ground level is unjustified and to cut only profit from the project so these mediators (VTPs) must be exempted from its current role.
“Vocational Trainers (VTs) have been experiencing a tough time in the absence of an effective and justifiable job policy since inception of the program (2016) from government. The Vocational Trainers have been most callously left at the mercy of the different private agencies/Vocational Training Partners (VTPs) who are ruling the roost and having the last laugh regarding their deplorable plight,” they said.
They requested government to look into the matter and secure the future of hundreds of Vocational Trainers with an effective and justifiable job policy besides that stop third party involvement at an earliest.
