TEACHERS protest cause inconvenience to commuters

Ludhiana, July 7, 2013: The Sikhiya Provider Adhiyapak Union, Punjab, on Monday, blocked vehicular traffic on the busy Jalandhar bypass road in support of their demands.

As a result, commuters have to face a great inconvenience. Even buses and other vehicles were compelled to used the wrong side of the road due to the severe blockade by the protestors.

A large number of Punjab police personnel were seen deployed there to ensure maintenance of complete law and order. The road was cleared by the protestors after the district administration arranged a meeting between them and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal.

Addressing the protestors, the President of the union Manjit Singh said their cadre comprised 7,404 teachers across Punjab and all of them were working on contractual basis over the period. He said among other things, they wanted regularisation of their services at the earliest possible time. He claimed that in the month of April last year, the state government had agreed to provide them full pay scale. But they were astonished when recently Punjab Education Minister SS Maluka categorically denied having given any such assurance to them.

Further, the teachers’ union leader said they are being asked to clear the Teachers' Eligibility Test that was started two years ago. He said since they were recruited in 2007-08, therefore, they should not asked to take this test.