Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha threatens to intensify stir

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, December 16

Various teachers’ organisations led by the Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha staged a protest outside the office of Ludhiana Deputy Commissioner today in support of their various long-pending demands. The officer bearers of various farmers and labour organisations also took part in the protest.

The protesting teachers raised slogans against the state government for failing to fulfill various demands of teachers who had been protesting for a long time to get their demands fulfilled.

While speaking during the occasion, Didar Singh Mudaki of the Sanjha Adhayapak Morcha said on one hand the state government had been not fulfilling the demands of teachers due to lack of funds with the state government, while on the other, it had increased the salaries of MLAs.

“Education Minister Punjab OP Soni promised the teachers that Chief Minister Captain Amrinder Singh would hold a meeting with the representatives of teachers’ organisations on December 17. We demand that the Chief Minister should not only hold meeting with the teachers, but also announce to fulfill their long-pending demands,” said Talwinder Singh.

The demands of teachers include regularisation of 5178 teachers under the Education Department, taking back pay cut of 8886 teachers and providing full salaries to them, regularising various volunteers working in the Education Department, regularising computers teachers working under society, release of DA installment, resumption of old pension scheme, etc.

The protesting teachers said the government had been adopting double standards with the employees. “On one hand, the government has been cutting various facilities to the employees, while on the other, it has increased the salaries of MLAs from Rs 95,000 to Rs 2,18,000, which is not acceptable,” said another protesting teacher Daljit Singh.

Later on, the teachers also carried out a protest march up to Ludhiana Bus Stand from Mini Secretariat. During the protest march, the teachers raised slogans against the anti-employee policies of the state government. The protecting teachers warned to sharpen their struggle henceforth, if the state government failed to fulfil their demands in the near future.