Aided school staff go on mass leave ahead of Tarn Taran bypoll

Ahead of the Tarn Taran by-elections on November 11, a large number of activists of the Punjab State Government Aided Private School Teachers and Other Employees Union proceeded on mass leave to participate in state-level protests that are being held at several places in the Assembly constituency.

Office-bearers and activists of pensioners unions and management forums have also reached Tarn Taran to show solidarity with the employees protesting for the implementation of their long-pending demands.

The joint forum of various organisations have threatened to resort to ‘Jail Bharo Protest’ at Tarn Taran on November 7, if their demands, including the payment of eight months of pending salary, are not accepted. Filling of vacant posts on an earlier pattern of 95 per cent grant, streamlining of monthly payment of salaries and grants for the repair and renovation of schools, were cited among the major demands of the protesters.

Ravinderjit Puri, an office-bearer of the state body of the parent union, said senior functionaries of various units, led by state president Gurmeet Singh Madnipur and president of the Aided School Management Association SS Chawla, had organised protest marches and rallies in Tarn Taran on Saturday and a large number of activists proceeded on mass leave to take part in the state-level protest.

The unions had taken a serious notice of the ‘step-motherly behaviour’ of the government towards the genuine demands of management committees and the staff of the state’s aided schools, which had remained the backbone of the education system in the past.

Having failed to get their demands fulfilled, serving employees and pensioners had threatened to launch a coordinated stir, including an action plan to oppose the Aam Aadmi Party candidate during the ensuing by-election at Tarn Taran.

Leaders regretted that the survival of 512 private schools, which were established before Independence by social reformers and social activists with donations from the public, were in danger as the present government had failed to keep its promise.

Most of these private-aided schools were inaugurated in 1967 by senior functionaries of the government, led by then CM Lachhman Singh Gill.

Puri said most of these schools had been facing financial constraints for over two decades after the Congress Government, led by Captain Amarinder Singh, imposed a ban on new recruitments at these institutes.

Leaders said that presently these schools did not get any financial assistance for construction of buildings, buying furniture, carrying out repairs, payment of electricity bills and any other expenses. Most of the school buildings were worth preserving as heritage, reminded the leaders.

Meanwhile, activists said they had joined their counterparts from other parts of the state and protested by removing shirts during the dharna held near Gandhi Park at Tarn Taran.