Primary school teachers stage jail bharo protest at several places in Assam

CorrespondentS

TANGLA: In a bid to push their demands, the teachers of government primary schools of Bhergaon subdivision under Udalguri district boycotted classes and staged jail bharo protest at Bhergaon on Tuesday. The teachers, under the banner of Bhergaon Subdivision Lower Primary Teachers’ Association, took out the protest rally holding placards in their hands from Bogribari Primary School to Bhergaon SDO(C) office to demand solution of various problems plaguing the primary schools, including pending approval of recruited teachers, discrepancy in wages of teachers and distribution of adequate books among Bodo medium students.

The teachers also submitted a memorandum through office of Bhergaon SDO(C) to Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal. The memorandum demanded remuneration of Rs. 8,700 for the lower primary teachers according to the 7th Pay Committee’s recommendations, the creation of post of headmaster, recruitment of adequate number of teachers, supply of Bodo medium textbooks and barring teachers from duties of other non-teaching works, among others.

Biswanath Chariali: Along with the rest of the State, the primary school teachers, under the aegis of Biswanath Subdivision Primary School Teachers’ Association, took out a procession throughout the Biswanath Chariali town on Tuesday in support of their demands like creation of Headmaster’s post and increase in the grade pay of the graduate teachers up to Rs 8,700. The procession started at Sikshak Bhavan and ended at the Deputy Commssioner’s office under the leadership of general secretary Paresh Borah and State member Lakhya Hazarika. The agitated teachers also shouted slogans against the State Government. Later, the teachers’ body submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the Deputy Commissioner, Biswanath. A similar programme was carried out at Gohpur too.

Goalpara: The Goalpara district chapter of Assam State Primary School Teachers’ Association (ASPTA) on Tuesday took to the streets of Goalpara town in Lower Assam for fulfilment of their various demands. Thousands of primary school teachers gathered in the morning at the Tea Garden LP School at Durgmandir and took out the rally by shouting slogans. Later, they arrived at the office of the Deputy Commissioner and submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister. The memorandum had demands like the creation of the post of headmaster at the primary level and implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission and providing grade pay. It also emphasized returning the Rs. 8700 grade pay to the trained primary teachers who were given this pay for 17 months and then denied. Few other important demands raised by the teachers were cancellation of the new pension system and implementation of the old pension scheme, provincialization of all the non-provincial schools without any conditions, the appointment of teachers on the basis of student-teacher ratio and formation of an education commission.

Meanwhile, despite the fact that the teachers had expressed their willingness to get arrested, the district administration let them go back peacefully after submitting the memorandum.

Also read: Primary Teachers in Assam Demand Pending Salaries, Thousands of Letters Sent to Prime Minister Modi