Police in MP arrest agitating teachers

The teachers demanded to be paid the remaining arrears of the sixth pay commission and asked to get merged with the school education department

Local police at various places today took several teachers into custody as they were staging a protest to press for their demand to get merged with the school education department. "As many as 600 teachers were taken into custody at Bairagarh area and near Yadgar-e-Shahjehani Park but later released. A high-level meeting in this regard is going on," a government source told Business Standard.

For the last five days, teachers, who work under local civic bodies, have been agitating and protesting over 12-point demands, including payment of remaining arrears of the sixth pay commission in a single installment and merger of their services into school education department. Yesterday, the Jabalpur High Court asked whether their movement be termed illegal.

"They had no permission to stage a protest on roads," said a senior police official. They were arrested and later released.

An office-bearer of the Teachers Association, Dinesh Salvi, said the police used force to remove their peaceful agitation by destroying tents at the agitation site and arrested a number of teachers.

Apart from single-installment payment of arrears, the teachers also want 'same-salary-for-same-work' policy. 

In Guna, senior Congress leader and Member of Parliament Jyotiraditya Scindia said he strongly condemned the use of force against the teachers as they were protesting for their demands of appropriate wages.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) spokesperson Akshya Hunka said his party was shocked by the behaviour of the police and strongly condemned their actions.