Police thwart teachers’ protest in Srinagar
Photo/Javed Khan
Srinagar, Jul 17: Dozens of government teachers including Teacher Forum president Abdul Qayoom Wani were today detained here as police foiled their protest march towards the official residence of Governor N N Vohra in support of their demands including implementation of the 7th Pay Commission recommendations.
Under the banner of Jammu and Kashmir Teachers Joint Action Committee (JKTJAC) and led by Abdul Qayoom Wani, thousands of teachers associated with Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyhan (RMSA) assembled at Municipal Park here this afternoon and held a sit-in protest in support their demands.
The protesting SSA and RMSA teachers alleged that the government has always been forcing its employees for confrontation, thereby complicating the issues concerning them.
“If SSA teachers could receive Sixth Pay Commission arrears and other benefits from the government including promotions, then what makes the government to deny them benefits of the Seventh Pay Commission,” Wani said while addressing protesters.
Wani, who also heads his faction of Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC), claimed that SSA teachers have refused to receive salary for the month of April, which according to him, was not released as per 7th Pay Commission recommendations.
He demanded that the monthly salary of SSA and RMSA teachers be de-linked from the central funding and that they be paid from, the state sector.
The senior trade union leader also appealed the Governor N.N Vohra and his Advisors in Raj Bhawan to personally look into the issues of SSA and RMSA teachers for their immediate redressal.
“We will intensify our protest in coming days in case SSA teachers’ issues are not redressed at the earliest. We will be holding meeting of Executive Council soon to chalk out our future strategy in this regard,” he added.
Later the protesting teachers started marching towards Raj Bhavan in Gupkar area of the city.
A large contingent of police was deployed to stop the march and the protesting teachers were asked to disperse, police said.
However, as they continued the march, the police swung into action and used coloured water canons and batons to disperse them.
Police also took dozens of teachers into preventive custody, the officials said.
Pertinently, the SSA teachers have been hitting streets of and on in favor of their demands, particularly de-linking their salaries from the central funding.
