Computer teachers protest

Tribune News Service

Patiala, July 4

Computer teachers, at present associated with the Education Department, held a protest against the state government here today. After staging a sit-in near bus stand, the protesters marched towards the Chief Minister’s residence. However, they were stopped 100 metre from the CM’s residence, near the YPS roundabout, by the police.

The protesters said they were recruited in 2005 on a contractual basis by the Education Department. In 2011, their services were regularised under the Punjab Information and Communication Technology Education Society (PICTES) with the assurance that they would be covered under government service rules, they added.

The teachers are now demanding that they should be merged completely with the Education Department because they are not being given the benefits of government service as were assured at the time of regularising their services under PICTES.

Harjeet Kaur, one of the protesters, said: “For the past 16 years, we have been working for the Education Department. Why the government is not merging us with the department. We are also teachers like others.”

Another protester, Nishu Arora, said: “In the notification of regularisation of our services, it is clearly mentioned that we will be covered under the Punjab service rules, but 10 years have gone by and the Punjab Government has not done anything.”

The protesters said either the government should provide them with all the benefits entitled under the Punjab Government Service Rules or they (government) should merge them completely with the Education Department.

The protesters called off their stir after getting an assurance of a meeting with the Chief Principal Secretary to Chief Minister on July 12.