Srinagar, Sep 3: The teachers engaged under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) on Monday went on indefinite hunger strike to seek implementation of seventh pay commission and delinking of their salaries.
Hundreds of them assembled at Srinagar’s Pratap Park and raised slogans in favour of their demands.
The teachers said that they have been pushed to the wall as the government has failed to delink their salaries besides extend the benefits of seventh pay commission in their favour.
“Around 41,000 RMSA masters, SSA teachers and head teachers have gone on indefinite hunger strike. We have been asking for long for redressal of long pending issues. We have only received assurances from the government. Nothing has been done so far,” said Irshad Ahmad, one of the protesting teachers.
The teachers alleged that the government was adopting a lackadaisical attitude towards their issues.
“We were given the benefits of sixth pay commission. But we fail to understand, why the benefits of seventh pay commission are not being extended to us. Aren’t we the employees of the state government?” questioned Aijaz Dar, another teacher.
The protesters said that despite assurances, the state government has not done anything concrete to delink their salaries.
“The government is not doing anything. It has constituted the committees only. It is actually a time buying practice being adopted to get away,” they added.
President, Teachers Joint Action Committee (TJAC), Abdul Qayoom Wani, said they would intensify their agitation if their demands were not met at an earliest.
“We will not move from here. We have been asking the authorities to address our long pending issues for a long time. The government should address our issues at an earliest,” he said.
