Union flays govt for lathi-charge on computer teachers in Sangrur

Democratic Teachers Front’s Amritsar unit has called the state government out for using force to suppress the voices of computer teachers working at various government schools as they were protesting on Teacher’s Day in Sangrur.

Computer teachers have been demanding a merger with the Education Department, which would make them eligible for incentives and pay scales at par with government employees under the 6th Pay Commission.

“Despite being regular under the Punjab ICT Education Society (PICTES), computer teachers have been deprived of many facilities. The teachers had gathered in Sangrur on Teacher’s Day to protest, during which they were lathi-charged and water canons were used on them too, leaving some injured,” claimed DTF’s Amritsar head Ashwani Awasthi.

“Even after regularisation, there is no job security and these teachers are being deprived of the benefits of the 6th Pay Commission, as is entitled to government employees in the state. Their demand for a merger should be fulfilled by the Punjab Government, as was promised by Education Minister Harjot Bains on many occasions,” he added.

State president Vikram Dev Singh also said that the ‘anti-education’ and ‘anti-teacher’ actions of the ‘so-called revolutionary government’ had made clear its intentions. “The announcements made by the Aam Aadmi Party on several occasions after coming to power are also being proved false. Even the old pension restoration notification by them has so far been proved to be a complete lie, and similarly, last Diwali, the government had announced that the demands of the computer teachers would be considered, but to no avail,” he said. In Amritsar, there are around 1,500 computer teachers deputed across various schools.