Shimla May, 15: The office-bearers of the Himachal Government Teachers Union that met here on Sunday decided that they would resort to protest as their demands had fallen on deaf ears. “The union has been urging the state government to consider their demands, but if the government only understands the language of protests, the union will adopt the warpath,” they said.
“Office-bearers of the union will perform ‘Subudhi Yajana’ so that good sense prevails in the government followed by a protest outside the Vidhan Sabha on May 27 to press for our demands,” said HGTU president Virender Chauhan, adding that after that dharnas would be held at all district headquarters.
Though Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh had assured to consider their demands and call a joint coordination committee for talks during the teachers’ convention on December 18, 2016, at Jwalaji, nothing had been done so far. The union had given an ultimatum to the state government to fulfil their demands by May 15, but as there was no response, the teachers have no other option but to protest, the office-bearers maintained.
Chauhan, who had submitted a 21-point memorandum to the state government, said in a bid to ensure quality education, the teaching fraternity was demanding restoration of notification issued by the department of elementary education dated September 2, 2006, and dated October 31, 2005.
The other demands of teachers includes grant of two special increments to all categories of teachers on completion of 15 years of regular service, 20 per cent of basic pay as non-practice allowance on the lines of doctors, enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 62 years in analogy of medical colleges and universities.
The teachers union has been pressing for restoration of lecturer designation in place of PGT, conditional regularisation of PTA, para and PAT teachers and policy for computer teachers appointed through companySpokesperson of the union Kailash Thakur said all teachers appointed after May 15, 3003, should be brought under the old pension scheme and all contract teachers be given benefits from the date of their initial appointments.
Source Tribune India
