BATHINDA: After the teachers serving in Punjab under centrally-sponsored schemes Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) intensified their protest by declining to join at new places of posting and made people lock certain schools, the state education department also has toughened its stand against them. The department has issued notices to 14 to submit replies by November 5 by appearing in person or their services could be terminated.The education department issued notices in the name of teachers on Saturday, giving them two days to respond. The Sanjha Adyapak Morcha, under whose banner the teachers are holding protests, has decided to file a reply. Earlier, the state education department and the teachers of SSA and RMSA had locked horns over fixing of salaries following regularization of their services in October. The Punjab government offered to regularize the services of 8,886 teachers at a salary of Rs 15,600 per month for three years before they start getting full wages.The teachers, working for nearly 10 years, were getting up to Rs 40,000 per month and declined to work at lower salaries and started an indefinite protest in Patiala . Following this, the education department started transferring the teachers, who were either taking part in the protest or making others boycott the flagship programme of ‘Parho Punjab, Parhao Punjab’. In response, the teachers allegedly started asking villagers to lock schools.“We have asked the teachers not to fear the notices. The morcha will file replies to these. The teachers will submit memorandums to the ministers in Punjab on Sunday and observe black Diwali if their grievances are not heard,” said morcha activist Jaswinder Singh.Punjab director general, school education, Prashant Kumar Goyal said, “Notices have been issued to teachers for not properly performing their duties and they have given a chance for personal hearing. If no satisfactory answer is given by them, their services could be terminated and issuance of more such notices can’t be ruled out.”

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