Chandigarh, October 15: Punjab Education Minister O P Soni was shown black flags by the teachers of Sarv Siksha Abhiyaan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyaan (RMSA) during his visit to Kapurthala where he had come to preside over the 57th Annual Athletics Meet of the Sainik School Sunday.
Heavy police force was deployed and barricades put up about 100 yards away from the venue, to stop the teachers, who had gathered in large numbers to register their protest against he Education Minister’s visit.
The teachers staged a dharna waving black flags and raised slogans against the Punjab government, the Education Minister and his Secretary, Krishan Kumar. Union leaders told the media that from now on, teachers will protest at all the places where Punjab CM, his ministers or Congress leaders go.
Nearly 9,000 teachers working under SSA-RMSA have been regularised by the Punjab government but they will be getting Rs 15,000 per month salary for the first three years and later they will get all perks. Though teachers under SSA-RMSA were on contract and working for the past 10 years, but as of now most of them were getting lump-sum salary of Rs 42,800 which used to be revised every year. A sudden dip in salary has not gone down well with teachers.
Meanwhile, Soni did not answer questions by mediapersons regarding the teachers’ protest.
Source Indian Express
 and Rashtriya Madhyamik Siksha Abhiyaan){kind=link}