The J&K police Friday evening foiled a candlelight march of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) teachers here.
The teachers were protesting under the banner of Teachers Joint Action Committee (TJAC). They seek implementation of 7th pay commission recommendations in their favour, besides delinking of their salary from the MHRD budget.
Hundreds of teachers assembled at Pratap Park Srinagar and tried to march towards the Raj Bhawan, here. As the teachers began to march, the J&K police already deployed at the spot swung into action and thwarted their march towards the Raj Bhawan.
As the teachers resisted, the police bundled scores of TJAC leaders and detained them at Kothi Bagh police station. However, all were released later.
The protest was led by TJAC president Abdul Qayoom Wani.
According to TJAC spokesman, similar protest was held at press club Jammu and other districts of the region. In Jammu the protest march was led by Ganesh Khajuria and Vinod Sharma.
President TJAC, Abdul Qayoom Wani castigated the government for ignoring 4000 SSA teachers, head teachers and RMSA masters by denying them the benefits of 7th pay commission.
“The benefits under the 7th pay commission are the legitimate right of SSA teachers, head teachers and RMSA masters but the government is deliberately meting out step motherly treatment to them,” Wani in a statement said.
Wani urged Governor N N Vohra, and his advisors B B Viyas, Khursheed Ahmad Ganie, chief secretary B V Subramanyium, and secretary school education Rigzian Sampheal to release the salary of SSA teachers, head teachers and RMSA masters as per 7th pay commission.
“The teachers have decided not to receive the salary as per 6th pay commission,” Wani said.
He said the aggrieved teachers were not against the committee framed by the government “but it must be exclusively for exploring options for creation of posts for 40000 teachers and linking their salaries with state sector.”
He said the TJAC has already announced indefinite hunger strike from 30 August “if the government failed to resolve this issue.”
Those arrested along with Wani were Muhammad Akbar Khan, Riyazul Rehman, Muhammad Rafiq Rather, Shah Fayaz, Harpal Singh Pali, Muhammad Afzal Bhat, Hatim Qayoom, Shabir Ahmad Bhat, Manzoor Ahmad Magray, Pir Nisar Ahmad, Zaheer Geelani, Syed Iftikhar Geelani, Shah Aashaq, Khadim Raza and others.