By India Tomorrow Staff Reporter,
Malerkotla (Punjab), 09 Feb 2014: The educational environment of nearly one dozen schools and colleges directly run by Punjab Wakf Board were completely collapsed on Thursday due to an indefinite strike by teachers who were demanding hike in salary.
The agitating teachers also sat on indefinite dharna (sit-in) in front of the local Islamia Senior Secondary School and declared that they will not end their protest till their demands fulfilled.
Talking to a group of pressmen, Mr. Mohd. Shamshad, president of Wakf Board Teachers Front clarified that all the teachers of different institutions run by Punjab Wakf Board are technically well qualified and were appointed after proper advertisements solely on the basis of merit. They are paid a monthly salary of Rs.6000/- per month even after years of their service. He declared that the teachers will never join their duties till the Board authorities agreed to increase their salaries according to circular no.5/6/11/565 of ministry of finance. He also demanded permanent posting for all the teachers of the Board.
After a daylong dharna by the teachers, Mr. Nadim Anwar Ahmed Khan and Mrs. Manju Qureshi, members of Punjab Wakf Board, visited the agitating employees and agreed partially to their demands. They also assured them to pressurize the Chairman of Punjab Wakf Board to fulfill the teacher’s demands. But the agitating teachers rejected their appeal to join duties. The teachers also offered a memorandum to the Board members.
On Friday (07 Feb), the teachers organised a silent march in different bazaars of the town to gain public support. A number of students of these institutions also joined the silent march so as to show their support to teachers’ cause.
In another development, leaders of local unit of Punjab Students Union have also announced their support to agitating teacher and appealed to the concerned authorities to heed the grievances of agitating community. A delegation of Punjab Students Union under the leadership of Miss. Harpreet Kaur Bably also handed over a memorandum to local S.D.M. Mr. Amit Bamby seeking his intervention in the larger interest of the student community.
