JK teachers protest against termination of contractual staff

Dozens of contractual teachers today staged a protest against Jammu and Kashmir government's decision to terminate services of some employees whom it claimed were selected without following the norms.
Carrying placards and shouting slogans, the teachers assembled at the Residency Road in the heart of the city under the banner of Contractual or Temporary Teachers Association to protest against the government decision, police said.
Hundreds of teachers were appointed by the previous government on contractual basis to fill up the vacancies in the Education Department.
The protesters were demanding regularisation of their services in the Education department, the police said.

As the protestors had not sought permission, policemen asked them to disperse peacefully but they refused, a police official said.
Police used batons to chase away the protestors, he said adding that no one was hurt in the process.
The teachers appealed the government to regularise their services.
"There are thousands of vacancies where the services of temporary teachers could be extended to improve standard of teaching in the schools and at the same time curb unemployment," one of the protesting teachers said.