Teachers stage road, rail blockade demanding job security

A breakaway faction of the 'All Tripura 10,323 Teachers Association, today blocked the railway and Assam-Agartala National Highway here for an indefinite period demanding security of their jobs.
A division bench of the Tripura High Court comprising Chief Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice Swapan Chandra Das in May, 2014 had passed the verdict of terminating 10,323 teachers due to faulty appointment system.
The Supreme Court had upheld the High Court judgement in March,2017.
Around 500 teachers of the breakaway faction today blocked the road and railway track from this afternoon demanding their jobs, Officer-in-charge of Manu police station of Dhalai district, Panna Lal Sen told reporters.

They blocked the road since 3 p.m today. It remained peaceful, he said.
Earlier in the day, Tripura Education Minister Tapan Chakraborty said the government is trying to save the jobs of the teachers.

The Convener of the breakaway faction of All Tripura 10,323 Teachers Association, Uttam Kumar De said, We would continue road and railway blockade until we are given the assurances that we would not be terminated from our job.
Police said, hundreds of vehicles and the Rajdhani Express, coming from Delhi remained halted due to the blockade. Kanchenjungha Express and the Silchar-Agartala Express were also stranded due to the blockade.

S.P, Dhalai, Smriti Ranjan Das and other police officials of the district with heavy contingent of forces are camping in the area.
No untoward incident was reported so far.
A delegation of the 'All Tripura 10,323 teachers Association' met the education minister Tapan Chakraborty, yesterday demanding job security.
"We have told the teachers that we are earnestly trying to save their jobs," Chakraborty told reporters.
The state government has filed a special petition in the Supreme Court, which is likely to come up for hearing, on December 11, he said.
The state government will stand by the teachers, he said.

The spokesperson of the official faction, Jakir Hossain told reporters:"We have full faith on the state government that it would stand by our side to protect our jobs.