(Representational Image) (Representational Image)

The Punjab Education Department on Monday suspended five teachers’ union leaders who were among the 11 sitting on a fast-unto-death in Patiala against the recent Cabinet decision to lower the salary of Sarav Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhmik Shikha Abhiyan (RMSA) teachers, while agreeing to regularise their jobs. All five union leaders are contractual teachers under the SSA/RMSA. They are — Harvinder, Bharat Kumar, Didar Singh Mudki, Harjit Singh and Hardeep Singh Todarpur. The orders in this regard were issued by the Education Department on Monday evening. The teachers had begun their fast-unto-death protest on Sunday.

Punjab government, meanwhile, has not paid salaries of 8800 teachers of government schools under Sarav Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhmik Shikha Abhiyan (RMSA) for the past five months on the pretext of regularisation of their services.

Recently, the state Cabinet gave a go ahead to regularise their jobs, but said that their salaries will be deceased to nearly one-third (Rs 15,000 monthly)for the next three years. The teachers then launched the statewide protest, including a fast-unto-death by 11 teachers in Patiala.

The information procured from Director General School Education’s (DGSE) office revealed that Centre had released Rs 172 crore, including around Rs 100 crore salary component for payment, but state is not ready to contribute its share.

The salaries of these teachers are shared by Centre and state governments in a ratio of 65:35, respectively. As they were appointed on annual contract basis since 2008 and their salaries currently are Rs 42,800 per month.

“After such a long wait, government agreed to our genuine demand of regularisation, but it is not fair to decrease our current salaries,” said Tilak Raj, District General Secretary of SSA/ RMSA Teachers Union, Punjab. “Already, our salaries have not been paid since May/June as we were put on hold in the name of getting regularised and now this,” said Hardeep Todarpur, state president of SSA/ RAMA Teachers Union. There are 14,090 SSA/ RAMSA teachers’ posts out of which around 5000 posts are lying vacant.

Education Minister O P Soni said that the government was acting as per its law as all other state departments, government employees are getting just the basic salaries for three years after their appointments and same is the case of teachers after getting regularised.

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