A day of protests in city

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 11

Two big protests were witnessed outside the District Administrative Complex (DAC) today.

The Democratic Teachers Front, Punjab, (Jalandhar group) and the Joint Action Committee, along with other unions, held protests in support of their demands.

The teachers raised slogans against the Education Minister and burnt his effigy. They said the Education Minister used wrong words for unemployed teachers, who are protesting for a long time.

“They are also from our fraternity and have passed exams but not being provided jobs. How can the minister use wrong words against them,” the protesters said.

Besides, the teachers said the minister had given them time to meet on December 3. However, later he refused to meet them.

“There are several issues. There must be new recruitment in schools. Before rationalisation, there must be promotions and every contractual teacher must be regularised. These are our demands but neither the state nor the Central Government seem to be serious towards the issue of providing good education,” said president and general secretary of the union Kulwinder Singh and Jaswinder Singh Bali.

In the other protest, the Joint Action Committee, along with the CPF Karamchari Union and the Pensioner Union, gathered in front of the DAC and burnt the effigy of the Finance Minister.

They demanded to release the salaries of employees of various departments. They said the state government was giving excuses for not disbursing the salaries.

“But the reality is different. We will intensify our protest if the salaries not given on time,” the protesters said.