Teachers protest despite orders, FIR registered

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 15

A large number of school teachers, who were recruited on the basis of Parents Teachers Association (PTA) during the previous Congress regime, on Tuesday staged a protest demanding regularisation of their services near the state Secretariat, Chotta Shimla, defying the Deputy Commissioner’s ban on the rally there.

Later, they met the Chief Minister who gave them a patient hearing.

Carrying banners and shouting slogans, the PTA teachers marched to the Secretariat and sat on a dharna in front of the Chotta Shimla police station. The PTA teachers gathered there in large numbers that brought the traffic to a standstill for an hour.

The PTA teachers defied the ban on the rally and protest at Chotta Shimla imposed by the DC ,who had issued a notification on Tuesday. The teachers termed the DC’s notification anti-democratic saying that they had no other place to stage the protest but near the Secretariat so that the government could hear their woes and grievances.

PTA president Bobil Thakur said the future of 6,000 PTA teachers was at stake as the successive state governments had been giving them false assurances. “We met the Chief Minister after the protest, who assured us that the state government would bring the matter in the Cabinet meeting for consideration”, he added.

The PTA teachers claimed they were giving their services in those remote areas of the state where there was shortage of teachers. “Some of the PTA teachers have been appointed on contract while many others remain uncertain about their future”, they rued.

Pramod Mishra, DSP, City, said the police had lodged an FIR against the PTA office-bearers who violated Section 144 of the CrPC as the gathering exceeded over 1,500 persons.