On their one point agenda of being adjusted as Shiksha Mitras in the education department, the members of the association of Shiksha Acharyas and Instructors undertook a secretariat march on Tuesday. The members of the association assembled at the protest site near the parade ground on the day and headed towards the secretariat but a police force foiled their plan and stopped them near Kanak Chowk. A minor scuffle between the agitators and the police broke out as the Shiksha Acharyas (SA) tried to push past the security cordon. In the ensuing melee one of the agitators, Robin Singh of Pithoragarh fainted and had to be hospitalised. The agitators engaged in slogan shouting against the State Government. later a delegation of the association was invited for talks with additional Chief Secretary Ranbir Singh. The delegation was assured that the issue would be put up in the next cabinet meeting.
The president of the association Devendra Bisht told The Pioneer that State cabinet on four occasions in past has decided to accept the demand of the association but the State Government has refrained from releasing the Government Order (GO) for reinstating 910 SAs into Shiksha Mitras.
In what is the longest agitation in the history pf the state the SAs are sitting on an indefinite Dharna at Old Raipur Bus stand near the Parade ground from June 3, 2012.
These SAs were enrolled to bring out of the school children into the fold of elementary education under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). The government employed 2883 SAs and Instructors till the year 2008 under SSA. later all the centres where these SAs and instructors were employed were closed in a phased manner. The state government adjusted some SA as SM in primary schools of the state. Now the left out 910 candidates are demanding to be adjusted as SMs.