HRD dismisses claims of protesting former SSA employees as baseless

“AGITATING ADHOC EMPLOYEES WERE FULLY AWARE THAT THEIR TERM WAS ADHOC AND FOR ONE ACADEMIC YEAR ONLY”
GANGTOK, 25 Jan: The Human Resource Development Department has broken its silence on the string of allegations leveled against it by the protesting former ad hoc appointees under the Sarva Siksha Abhiyan scheme [read NOW! issued dated 23 Jan 2012 for details].
In a press communiqué issued today, the Department informs that the said employees were appointed under SSA “only for one academic session till 22nd December, 2011”. This, the release adds, was also detailed in the concerned Office Order.
“The agitating Adhoc employees were fully aware that their term of Adhoc appointment was for one academic session only and that there was no mention of extension in their appointment order as Sarva Siksha Abhiyan is a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme and is an additionality to the State and as such, it is a part of the Scheme of Public Employment where opportunities have to be provided to all,” the Department elaborates further.
The press communiqué, issued by the Director [Higher Education], HRDD, Deepa Basnet, goes on to inform that the Union HRD Ministers has prescribed detailed guidelines on recruitments under SSA. As per this, the posts were advertised in December 2011, against which 4,509 candidates applied and sat for the interviews held from 11 to 19 January 2012.
“The purpose of holding the interview was to provide equal opportunities to all educated unemployed to participate in the selection process,” the release states, further clarifying, “It is well settled that in all matters of public employments equal opportunity has to be provided by publication of Notice inviting applications.”