CHANDIGARH – Over 7,000 of Inclusive Education Volunteers (IEV) of the state have not been paid their salary for the past seven months. The teachers were recruited under the centrally-sponsored Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan about three years ago. They are supposed to counsel the parents of differently abled children to send them to schools. However, they recently got to know that the IEV scheme was withdrawn seven months ago. Since then, they have been going from pillar to post to get their salaries.
Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Rajinder Kaur Bhattal has lent support to the IEV volunteers. She said the state’s poor financial state had left several people jobless. She said pensioners were not getting benefits on time, leading to hardships in the twilight of their lives.
“These teachers have been forced to protest against the state government. Even government employees have not been paid seven per cent DA since July 1, 2014,” said Bhattal. She feared the state government might have to declare ‘financial emergency’ any day.
Education Minister Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema said all other teachers except for the IEV volunteers were being paid. “The IEV volunteers are to be paid by the Centre. The Centre has decided to do away with the IEV scheme. We are looking into the matter. I have also apprised the CM Parkash Singh Badal about the matter,” said Cheema.
