Chandigarh: Stepping in, Punjab Chief Minister
Parkash Singh Badal has invited for talks the agitating
teachers who had threatened to immolate themselves on Thursday.
Protests by Education Guarantee Scheme (EGS) teachers, who
are employed on ad-hoc basis and are demanding government
jobs, have intensified after their woman colleague was slapped
by a ruling party leader in Muktsar district on Sunday when
she tried to raise the issue.
Muktsar SSP Inder Mohan Singh met a group of 11 EGS
teachers, who had threatened to commit self-immolation at
Gidderbaha in the district on Thursday.
"The SSP of Muktsar apprised us that Badal had agreed to a
meeting on December 11 at Chandigarh to resolve our issues,"
EGS teachers association President Pritpal Singh said.
He, however, said that if their demands were not fulfilled
by the state government, they would intensify their struggle
from December 11.
"We will wait till the outcome of our meeting with Badal,"
he said.
Meanwhile, EGS teachers continued their protest at
Kacheri chowk on Malout-Bathinda road in Gidderbaha of Muktsar
district.
Police had lathicharged protesting teachers on Wednesday
when they tried to gherao Badal during a function at Muktsar.
The teachers wanted to meet Badal during his visit but
were stopped by police following which a scuffle broke out and
police used batons to disperse the protesters.
Singh said their demand was that the police should take
appropriate action against the sarpanch involved in
slapping the teacher in public.
"The sarpanch should be sent to jail without further
delay," he said.
Police had arrested the sarpanch but he was released on
bail within hours.
The panchayat of the village had moved an application to
police seeking action against the teacher for using caste
specific remarks against the member of the panchayat.
PTI
