Malwa teachers protest pay panel proposals, demand old pension

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, July 18

On a call given by the Joint Teachers’ Front, scores of teachers from the Malwa region staged a protest outside the district administrative complex in Bathinda against the 6th Pay Commission’s proposals and demanded that the old pension scheme be revived at the earliest.

The protesting teachers raised slogans against the government and pushed their way through by removing barricades installed near the Deputy Commissioner’s residence. The police used mild force, but could not stop the protesters, who later sat on a dharna outside the DC’s residence and planned to continue the protest through the night. Later, senior officials intervened and placated the teachers by promising them that they would organise their meeting with members of the pay panel’s committee, following which the latter ended the protest.

Earlier, teachers blocked the road outside the city bus stand and raised slogans against the government. Teachers from various unions, including the Democratic Teachers’ Front, 6060 Master Cadre Union, 5178 Master Cadre Union, 3582 Adhyapak Union, Physical Education Teachers’ Association and ETT 6505 Teachers’ Union among others participated in the protest.

Digvijay Sharma, a joint front representative, said: “Working on similar lines as that of the Centre, the state government is taking decisions aimed at reducing regular jobs and bringing in privitisation policies that will jeopardise the future of qualified unemployed youth and favour corporate houses. But such approach will not be tolerated anymore.” Navcharanpreet Kaur, another representative of the union said, “The pay grade benefit introduced after 2011 has been reduced, exposing the government’s anti-employee approach. Instead of regularising the services of contractual teachers, they have been subjected to lathicharge, but we will give a befitting reply to such indifferent approach.”

Adhyapak morcha takes out bike rally

Ropar: On a call given by the Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha, government teachers of Ropar and Nawanshahr — protesting over their long pending demands — took out a bike rally here on Sunday. They also handed over a memorandum of demands to Speaker Rana KP Singh following which, union leaders addressed a gathering at Giani Zail Singh Nagar Park.