Teachers march up to Manpreet’s office

BATHINDA: Hundreds of Sarva Shikhsha Abhiyaan (SSA)-Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) Teachers Union with other unions converged at Ambedkar Chowk this morning to draw attention of Finance Minister Manpreet Badal to their demands ahead of the cabinet meeting on tomorrow.

Government schoolteachers hold a protest march in Bathinda on Sunday. Tribune photo: Pawan Sharma

Ravi Chandel

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, March 18

Hundreds of Sarva Shikhsha Abhiyaan (SSA)-Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) Teachers Union with other unions converged at Ambedkar Chowk this morning to draw attention of Finance Minister Manpreet Badal to their demands ahead of the cabinet meeting on tomorrow.

The protesters raised slogans against the state government and also threatened that if they did not roll back their decision of shifting teachers to the Education Department for three years at a salary of Rs 10,300 then they would intensify their protest.

Later, they took out a protest march from Ambedkar Chowk to the Manpreet Badal’s office near the Multipurpose Sports Stadium.

Didar Singh Mudki, president of the SSA-RMSA Teachers Union, said, “Teachers from various unions and districts have assembled here to warn the Finance Minister, Local Bodies Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu and Education Minister Aruna Chaudhary not to execute anti-people policies in the state.”

He said, “The government must understand that these teachers are working at Rs 35,000 to Rs 55,000 salary per month. How will they survive if their salary is reduced to Rs 10,300 all of a sudden? Teachers have taken loans on their salaries for one or the other reason. In this scenario, how they will be able to make both ends meet?”

Amritpal Sidhu, president of the Model and Adarsh School Employees Union, also echoed similar sentiments.

He said, “If the decision is not withdrawn in the cabinet meeting, we will organise a mega state level protest in Ludhiana on March 25.”

Sarbjit Singh, leader of the Computer Teachers Union, said, “The state government’s anti-people policy is going to put 15,600 teachers in a difficult situation. Moreover, it will also adversely affect the studies in the entire state.”

Unions come together

Hundreds of Sarva Shikhsha Abhiyaan (SSA)-Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) Teachers Union with other unions converged at Ambedkar Chowk on Sunday morning to draw attention of Finance Minister Manpreet Badal to their demands ahead of the cabinet meeting on Monday.