Till first week of November, nearly 2,000 teachers had joined on the slashed salary. After the latest circular of choosing stations of their choice was out in the second week, another 2,000 teachers joined. (File) Till first week of November, nearly 2,000 teachers had joined on the slashed salary. After the latest circular of choosing stations of their choice was out in the second week, another 2,000 teachers joined. (File) Continuing with their ongoing stir against the Punjab government’s decision to regularise them, which will slash their salary by one-third, the Sarva Siksha Abhiyaan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Sikshaa Abhiyaan (RMSA) teachers held massive protests at district level across Punjab on Sunday. This time, they are claiming that those who have accepted the government’s offer are being given their desired postings at cost of their protesting contractual colleagues who are allegedly being transferred to faraway locations. In Bathinda, they blocked the traffic on the main highways for three-four hours. In Amritsar, the police had to lathi charge and use water cannons to disburse the agitating teachers who were heading to protest outside Punjab Education Minister’s O P Soni residence. The police said they were forced to lathi charge the agitating teachers when they “purposefully” removed barricades that had been fixed at different locations on the route leading to the house of Soni. There was a scuffle between police and agitating teachers. In the incident, some policemen and a few teachers were hurt. The agitating teachers were dispersed later, said DCP Lakhbir Singh. “This is a way to pressurise the teachers to come on rolls at a meagre salary as they will fear getting transferred,” said Devinder Singh Poonia, convenor of Sanjha Adhiyapak Morcha. As many as 8,886 teachers working under SSA and RMSA have been put on regular rolls by the Punjab government, but their salary for first two-and-a-half years will be only Rs 15,300 per month, the basic starting pay scale, and later all perks will be given. At the moment, they are drawing Rs 42,800 per month though they are on contract. The Education minister (schools), however, has been repeatedly saying that it is optional for the teachers to join at Rs 15,300 per month salary or remain on contract. At the same time they have been given an option to choose stations of their choice. Those who wish to come on regular rolls can even opt for the station of a contractual teacher and hence the latter will be transferred at places of the Punjab government’s choice. Till first week of November, nearly 2,000 teachers had joined on the slashed salary. After the latest circular of choosing stations of their choice was out in the second week, another 2,000 teachers joined. Education Minister Soni told The Indian Express the teachers are ready to join, but a few union leaders are preventing them to do so. “Already more than 4,000 teachers have joined and more are joining.” When asked why stations of contract teachers are being given to the ones who are joining on rolls at Rs 15,300 salary, he said,”We have all the right to transfer teachers as per the education policy of the state and moreover, the one who comes on our regular rolls, is our permanent employee and hence we have to see his/her preferences.” Whether it is a pressure tactics on the teachers to accept Rs 15,300 salary or to face transfer, Soni said they had taken this decision after consultation with them. “There is no pressure on anyone, rather we are accommodating all the contractual teachers.” Singh, however, insisted this is a pressure tactics. “Hence we have decided to gherao that school where a teacher will go to join by replacing a contractual SSA/RMSA colleague. This is a way to weaken our agitation. Government needs to tell us how should we run our houses with just Rs 15,300 per month salary.” Already, many union leaders have been transferred to far-off places, while there have been no talks over this subject by Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh with them. He had cancelled his meeting with the teachers on November 5. The teachers had been protesting since October 7 across the state. For all the latest Ludhiana News, download Indian Express App

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