Five teachers sacked for protesting against govt
PATIALA: Over a month after teachers, under the banner of the Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha, ended their 57-day protest in Patiala, the Punjab government on Tuesday terminated the services of five teachers, who spearheaded the stir, with immediate effect.
Those who have been terminated include Hardeep Singh Toderpur, Bharat Kumar, Harwinder Singh, Didar Singh Mudki and Harjeet Singh Jeeda, all members of the morcha.
The teachers have been found guilty of serious indiscipline as they held protest against the state government during school hours on October 8 last year, read the termination orders issued by director general of school education Prashant Kumar Goyal on Tuesday. “Their services have been terminated in public interest, as being teachers, they should not only be sensitive towards their job, but should act as a role model for the society,” the orders read.
Demanding pay parity and regularisation of their jobs, 8,886 contractual teachers recruited under the centrally-sponsored Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) as well as Adarsh and Model Schools started their indefinite protest and sat on fast-unto-death from October 7 last year. The deadlock between teachers and Punjab government ended on December 1 after education minister OP Soni assured them of arranging a meeting with chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
The five teachers were put under suspension on October 9 and were also served a showcause
notice, to which they failed to reply. On November 3, the director general school education issued a public notice and directed them to appear in person on November 5. During the hearing, the teachers said they did not receive a copy of the show-cause notice, following which the department handed over the copies of notices to them and asked them to respond within 15 days. In response, the teachers termed the allegations illogical and undemocratic.
“The teachers’ responses were unsatisfactory. As per their contract, they were to be given onemonth notice, but they are found guilty for serious gross indiscipline, therefore their services are terminated with immediate effect,” Goyal said. The termination orders further read that the teachers proceeded on mass leave on October 8 by providing false information to their school heads to participate in the protest.
‘UNDEMOCRATIC AND DICTATORIAL DECISION’
Reacting to his termination, convener of the morcha Hardeep Singh Toderpur said the government has once again betrayed
WHAT ARE TEACHERS DEMANDING?
In its poll manifesto, the Congress had promised to regularise the teachers and remove pay-related discrepancies. The government kept deferring the matter, triggering protests. On October 3, the cabinet decided to regularise their services on a fixed monthly sum of ₹10,300 (initial of regular pay scale) with grade pay of ₹5,000 in addition for three years. The salary offered is roughly a third of what they are getting at present. The teachers rejected it and started a protest.