Govt, pvt aided schoolteachers protest overnight, demand pending salaries

Many women teachers, employed at government and private aided schools of the region, sat on a protest overnight to impress upon the government to pay their salaries which have not been released in eight months.

Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian with activists.These women accompanied their colleagues, from various parts of the state, who had staged a state-level dharna near the administrative office in Taran Taran on Friday. However, many of them were asked to return home in the morning today by the organisers even as their male counterparts and activists of the Punjab State Government Aided Private School Teachers Union and other Employees’ Bodies continued their protest on the second day.

The dharna was lifted at about 4 pm after Cabinet Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian announced that salary for nine months with effect from April 2025 would be paid on Monday. The decision was taken after a meeting of union activists, led by Gurmit Singh Madnipur and SS Chawla with Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema.

The joint forum of various outfits had earlier announced to resort to “Jail Bharo” protest at Taran Taran on November 7 to get their demands accepted.

Restoration of vacant posts on an earlier pattern of 95 per cent grant, streamlining of monthly payment of salary and grants for repair and renovation of schools, apart from pending salaries, were cited among the major demands of the forum.

Ravinderjit Puri, an office-bearer of the state body of the 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 at Taran Taran on last Saturday.

Having failed to get their demands accepted in routine, office-bearers and activists of the management committees, serving employees and pensioners had threatened to launch a coordinated stir including an action plan to oppose the Aam Aadmi Party candidate during the by-election at Taran Taran.