Govt. to consider bringing aided school teachers under ‘Arogya Sanjivini

Minister for School Education and Literacy Madhu Bangarappa has said that the government is positive towards bringing the teachers of aided schools under ‘Arogya Sanjivini’ schemes which enables the teachers to get cashless treatment in empanelled hospitals.

He was replying to the disucussion under Rule 330 in the Karnataka Legislative Council on the issues of disparities in the facilities to aided and government schools. Members S.L. Bhojegowda, Puttanna, Shashil Namoshi, S.V. Sankanur, D.T. Srinivas and Ramoji Gowda had raised the issue with a plea to treat the aided school teachers on par with government school teachers.

Mr Bangarappa said that as the issue required approval from the Finance Department, he would consult the Chief Minister and would make honest efforts to extend the facility to the teachers of aided schools. Intervening in the issue, Mr. Puttanna pointed out that Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao had also promised to extend the facility to aided school teachers earlier.

Calendar of events

On the members’ demand for approving the recruitment process for aided schools in the State, the Minister announced that the calendar of events for the recruitment of teachers would be published within 15 days.

On the issue of contributory pension, the Minister said that as the issue did not pertain to his department, he would take it up with the Chief Minister.

Regarding the demand for allowing promotion of the primary school teachers to the posts of Graduate Primary Teachers, Mr. Gundu Rao said that as there were lot of technicalities included, he would try to address the issue as early possible.

Lesser burden

The Minister also said that the department was in the process of further reducing the burden of non-teaching responsibilities pertaining to mid-day meal scheme, including procurement of eggs and bananas and in this regard, attendance through facial recognition was being introduced. By the next academic year the process would be simplified and burden would be reduced, he assured the members.