CM’s meeting with teachers on Nov 5

Tribune Reporters

Chandigarh/Patiala, Oct 23

After a five-hour-long meeting with a 16-member delegation of the Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha in Chandigarh on Tuesday, Chief Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar has fixed a meeting of the protesting teachers with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on November 5.

Kumar said later, “The teachers’ demands will be put up before the CM.” The delegation also met Capt Sandeep Sandhu, political secretary to the CM.

Morcha convener Davinder Singh Punia said, “Our agitation in Patiala will continue till we are given an assurance that the department will revoke the suspension and transfer of 35-odd teachers who had raised their voice for their rights.” He added: “We are expecting good news in the coming days.”

Government Teachers’ Union president Sukhwinder Singh Chahal said, “We also want the CM to look into the cases of computer and voluntary teachers.”

The teachers have been on an indefinite strike since October 7 in protest against the state Cabinet’s decision to regularise the services of 8,886 teachers — recruited under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) — on a monthly salary of Rs 15,300.

Thousand of teachers are demanding regularisation on full pay scale. On the number of teachers who had accepted the government’s offer, an official spokesperson said the final figure would be available on Wednesday after the deadline ended at midnight.

Their demands

• The teachers have been protesting since October 7 against the Cabinet’s decision to regularise their services on a monthly salary of Rs 15,300. 
• They are demanding regular jobs on full pay scale. 
• Chief Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar, who met the teachers on Tuesday, said the demands would be put up before the CM.