LP Teachers Threaten to Stay Away from Poll Duty as Govt Failed to meet their Demands

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Members of the Asom Rajyik Prathamik Shikshak Sanmilani (ARPSS) gheraoed all District Elementary Education Offices (DEEOs) on Saturday for the government's failure to meet their demands.

The three major demands of the organization are the creation of headmasters' posts in lower primary schools, rollback the government's decision of slashing Rs 8,700 monthly from the salary of each graduate teacher employed in lower primary schools and payment of Dearness Allowance to contractual teachers working in such schools.

In Guwahati such a protest was staged in front of the DEEO, Kamrup (M) at Chatribari on Saturday.

Talking to the media, ARPSS secretary general Ratul Chandra Goswami said, "The previous government in the State did suffer an immediate setback for deceiving the teachers. If this government too deceives the teachers, it will meet the same fate. The Chief Minister has all along been maintaining silence on our demands. We appeal to him to break his silence.

"We'll hold another meeting on February 28, 2021 on our next course of action. If the government doesn't meet our demands, we'll go to the extent of staying away from all poll-related duty."

The ARPSS staged a number of agitations in support of their various demands. On January 22, 2021 thousands of teachers staged a protest to gherao the residence of the Chief Minister but they were prevented from going ahead. It was followed by a partial non-cooperation agitation for twenty days. After that during the February session of the State Assembly they staged a total non-cooperation by staying away from taking classes for three days, leading to the closure of classes in 36,000 LP schools in the State.

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