Former Education Minister, Mantri Prasad Naithani has threatened to sit on a hunger strike in front of Raj Bhawan from Monday if the services of 6214 guest teachers are not reinstated. Naithani visited the protest site on Sunday where the members of the association of guest teachers are camping and declared that if all the guest teachers are not reappointed by end of the day (Sunday), then he would start a 48-hour hunger-strike before the residence of the Governor of Uttarakhand.
He said that guest teachers did a very good job and created an environment conducive for studies in the schools of the state. The former minister under whose tenure these teachers were appointed brushed aside the protest of serving teachers and said that their interests would not be affected by reappointment of guest teachers.
Meanwhile, hundreds of guest teachers from all parts of the state continued to camp at the protest site on Sunday. Thirteen members of the association are also sitting on a fast unto death in support of their demands.
The Vice President of the association, Harish Arya told The Pioneer that thousands of guest teachers from all parts of the state would participate in a Secretariat march which is scheduled on April 19. He said that the association would continue its agitation till the recruitment advertisement for inducting fresh guest teachers is taken back and services of guest teachers appointed last year are reinstated by the State Education department.
The association is also demanding to increase their stipend from Rs15,000 per month to Rs25,000.