The agitation by the teachers of Rajkeeya Shikshak Sangh entered seventh day on Thursday. The teachers affiliated with Sangh are camping before the office of education director and are adopting rotation system of Dharna to press for their demands.
On Thursday it was the turn of teachers from Nainital district to voice their protest. The president of Nainital district unit of Sangh Mahesh Bawari told The Pioneer that more than 50 teachers from district participated in the Dharna on Thursday. He said that the teachers of Kumaon division are facing discrimination as they are getting the benefit of selection scales after 12 years of the service while those of Garhwal division get this scale after 10 years. Bawari said that the High Court (HC) while hearing the petition of Aditya Nath Jha had pulled up the Government for this anomaly and ordered its rectification but the education department has not taken any action on this.
Addressing the Dharna the Divisional Patron (Kumaon), Sohan Majira said the teachers are fed up with the constant assurances given by the state government and agitation would be intensified if the demands are ignored further.
The teachers are demanding that the transfers of 99 teachers in name of attachment should be cancelled, benefit of paid leave to the period of Panchayat election duties, Assured Career Progression (ACP) and promotions to 700 vacant posts of Principals. The Dharna was also addressed by Divisional vice-president Bhuwan Joshi, Vivek Pandey and Dinesh Joshi.