Karnal: Transfers in limbo, teachers breach barricades, protest outside Haryana CM's office
Karnal, July 21
Scores of JBT teachers, under the banner of Rajkiya Prathmik Shikshak Sangh Haryana, protested in the CM’s city on Sunday in support of their demands, including transfers that have been stopped for the past eight years and promotions.
Under the National Education Policy (NEP), they demanded revision of the student-teacher ratio to 25:1, implementation of the old pension scheme, admissions in primary schools under the Right to Education (RTE) norms instead of family ID parameters. They demanded that the government should start optional language courses — English or Hindi — in Model Sanskriti Schools and exempt fees ranging from Rs 250-700 per student. The protesting teachers also demanded the hiring of sweepers in schools.
Waiting for 8 yrs
We have been waiting for the transfer system to begin again for the last eight years. We were assured by the government last year that our demands would be fulfilled, but to no avail. — Tarun Suhag, Sangh President
They assembled at Fountain Park in Sector-12 and started a march towards the Camp Office. The police stopped the protesters at a distance near Ambedkar Chowk. However, they breached the barricades, overpowered the personnel and reached outside the Camp Office, where they staged a dharna. After receiving assurance of a meeting with the CM by the duty magistrate, they lifted the dharna in the evening.
Tarun Suhag, state president of the sangh, said that the transfer drive should be opened for all as they have been waiting for it for the past eight years. “Due to the closure of the transfer drive, we have been facing a lot of difficulties,” he added.
“We were assured by the government last year that our demands would be fulfilled when we protested in Chandigarh, but so far, nothing has been done, forcing us to protest again,” Suhag said.
At present, the student-teacher ratio is 30:1, while as per the NEP, it should be 25:1, he said. The state president emphasised that promotions should be open for all posts under the promotion quota.
Suhag said they had been raising the issue of restoring the old pension scheme, but it has not been fulfilled. “We will have no option but to go on strike if our demands are not met,” he said.
