HYDERABAD: Following the failure of talks with the Government, leaders of the Joint Action Committee of Teachers Organisations (JACTO) here on Thursday announced their decision to go ahead with their plan to boycott spot valuation of the SSC examination papers beginning from April 8. Some 10 lakh students have appeared for the SSC examination this year.

Conflicting claims were made about the outcome of the discussions. Officials said Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy had "agreed" to meet four major demands while the leaders contested the claim saying that no demand was met.

B. Mohan Reddy, steering committee member of the JATCO, who participated in the discussions, said the teachers would not attend the spot valuation. The JACTO represents 19 organisations of teachers.

According to an official, the Chief Minister, however, had given his consent to bring teachers working in the Tribal Welfare Department under common service rules and propose to the Union Government to shift the teachers coming under the purview of G.O. Nos. 95 and 96 to local cadre. He also gave his nod to increase the remuneration of teacher-apprentices by 50 per cent, and to allow leave facility to them too.

Minister's plea

Meanwhile, School Education Minister N. Rajyalakshmi appealed to the teachers to defer the boycott plan and attend the spot-valuation, citing their social obligation towards 10 lakh students. She said the time given to settle the demands was too short. The JACTO had submitted the list of demands on March 30 and she had held discussions with its leaders the very next day.

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