Teachers take to streets in support of their demands

Primary school teachers undertook a silent protest march towards Aurobindo Auditorium with an aim to disrupt the official function of the state government held here to celebrate Teachers' day.

Police had to use minor force to drive away the agitating teachers from the function in which Education Minister R C Laloo was to address the celebration.

Teachers under the umbrella of the All Meghalaya Primary School Teachers Association (AMPSTA) had announced August 31 as the deadline to the government to address their grievances and pending dues.

"The step-motherly treatment by the government will no longer be tolerated. The failure to address our demands has brought us from the classrooms to the streets," AMPSTA spokesperson Mitra Dutta said.

AMPSTA has been demanding head teacher allowances, 30 per cent arrears on the basis of revised pay scale of 2007, regular disbursement of salary on monthly basis and retirement benefits besides other allowances.

Meanwhile, a sit-in protest was observed by the Khasi Jaintia Higher Secondary Adhoc Teachers' Association at Students' Field in the city to protest failure of the government to address their grievances.