In a novel form of protest, the agitating members of the association of Shiksha Acharyas and Instructors fanned out to different parts of city on Friday and sought public support for their one point demand. The members of the association gathered at protest site near parade ground on the day and formed ten teams which dispersed to different markets and localities of the city. The media in charge of the association Ramkrishna Mamgain told The Pioneer that the teams got unprecedented public support and people gave written assurances of their solidarity. “ When we told people that the State Government is not accepting our justified demand of being converted to Shiksha Mitra from last four and half years, they instantly supported us,’’ he said.
The association is demanding that state government should immediately release GO for their conversion into Shiksha Mitras. It is worth mentioning here that the state cabinet on four occasions in past has decided to accept the demand of the association but the state government refrained from releasing the Government Order (GO) for reinstating 910 Shiksha Acharyas and Shiksha Mitras. The agitated Shiksha Acharyas are sitting on an indefinite Dharna at Old Raipur Bus stand near the Parade ground from June 3, 2012.
The Shiksha Acharyas were employed on monthly wage of Rs 2500 to bring out of the school children in fold of elementary education under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) in the year 2001. For very deprived children like those living in streets some Alternative and Innovative Education (AIE) centers were also opened under SSA and instructors were posted in them.
The government later closed all these centres but some Shiksha Acharyas and instructors were adjusted as Shiksha Mitras in primary schools of the state. Now the remaining 910 candidates are demanding to be adjusted as Shiksha Mitras.