M.P. hiked teachers' salary but they want sixth pay commission benefit

Taking an important decision in favor of teachers of Madhya Pradesh, State government hiked the salary of Assistant teacher, teacher and senior teachers by 2500 to 3500.
CM Shiraj Singh had a meeting with the representatives of teachers organization on Saturday and after the announced the hike in salary. With their demands of same work, same salary all the teachers of state were on strike for last one month. They also called a kumba of teacher’s on Sunday.

In a fresh round of agitation in support of their long-standing demands from the State Government, thousands of government school teachers staged a demonstration in the State capital on Sunday. The teachers held their demonstration in the backdrop of an announcement by the State Government made on Saturday raising the salaries of the teachers from Rs2300 to an abysmal sum of Rs3500 

The congregating teachers who had come from all over the state observed a mahakumbh at Yaadgar-e-Shahjahani Park in the city. Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who had earlier assured the teachers of his participation in the mahakumbh cancelled the plan to participate at the last moment.

The teachers held their demonstration in the backdrop of an announcement by the State Government made on Saturday raising the salaries of the teachers from Rs 2300 to Rs 3500 apart from other facilities including group insurance and one-time merger in school education department for the teachers who have served more than five years.

The announcement made by the Government has already created rift within the joint front of the teachers. The association of contract teachers Samvida Shikshak Sangh withdrew from the agitation following the Government's assurance to increase the salaries with effect from April 1. The joint front now comprises of the adhyapaksand gurujis who have declared to continue with their agitation.

“The joint front has rejected the salary raise offered by the Government. The announcement made by the Government dose not meets any of the demands that we have been raising so far. We are not demanding merely a raise in our salaries. We are demanding parity in pay of all the teachers according to the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations. We are also demanding that the teachers including samvida shikshaks, adhyapaks and gurujis should be merged with the regular teachers under school education department,” informed the spokesperson of teachers' joint front Jitendra Shakya adding that the agitating teachers are deliberating over a fresh round of agitation from January 27.

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator and state Spokesperson Vishwas Sarang has said that the BJP government has honoured the teachers by raising the salaries and providing other benefits. “The hike in salaries of the teachers is a new year gift from the Chief Minister,” said Sarang in a statement on Sunday.

Source : The Pioneer