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Ludhiana: Awaiting salary for 8 months, teachers of aided schools protest in Tarn Taran
Their demonstration, fuelled by months of frustration and financial strain, comes at a politically sensitive moment as Tarn Taran readies itself for the assembly bypoll
With salaries withheld for eight months due to a prolonged dispute between the government and school managements, hundreds of teachers from Ludhiana aided schools on Friday staged a protest in Tarn Taran. Their demonstration, fuelled by months of frustration and financial strain, comes at a politically sensitive moment as Tarn Taran readies itself for the assembly bypoll.
“Is it our fault that we kept working without pay for eight months, or that we continue to impart both education and moral values to our students?” asked Gurmeet Singh Madnipur, state president of the Aided Schools’ Union. Over 200 teachers from Ludhiana district participated in the protest, he said.
Union general secretary Sharanjit Singh said, “These (aided) schools have produced great revolutionaries like Shaheed Bhagat Singh, Kartar Singh Sarabha and Udham Singh, as well as national leaders such as former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, former Union minister Jagannath Kaushal and current Punjab ministers Harpal Singh Cheema and Dr Balbir Singh.”
Last month, the teachers had burnt copies of a government order at the mini secretariat after the state released financial aid only for one month (Apri). The teachers termed it a “cruel joke” and a complete disregard for their ongoing financial hardship.
Madnipur said teachers are finding it difficult to make ends meet. “Since 95% of our salaries come from the government and only 5% from the management, we are left helpless. Many teachers are unable to pay their loan EMIs or afford medical expenses. Senior teachers who have served for decades are now forced to borrow money just to survive,” he said.
Officials from the Directorate of Public Instructions (DPI) have attributed the delay to discrepancies between school managements’ claims and the audit reports. They said instructions were issued to ensure district education officers verify income-expenditure surplus deductions before forwarding the claims.
Anindita Mitra, administrative secretary of school education, had earlier clarified that the finance department cannot release funds until schools submit their audited balance sheets, which remain pending. Once the required documents are received, she said, the remaining grants would be processed without delay.
Meanwhile, Madnipur said that in case the government continues to ignore the teachers’ plight, the protest would be intensified. “The teachers’ struggle is not just for pay, but for dignity and justice,” he added.
