Government school teachers hold protest in Khanna

Express resentment over the statement of state health minister that due to lockdown and breakout of Covid-19, the government could not pay teachers without work

Government school teachers of Khanna, Samrala and Macchiwara, under the banner of the Democratic Teachers Front, held a protest at the Prem Bhandari Park, Khanna, to express resentment against the statement of state health minister Balbir Singh Sidhu that due to lockdown and the breakout of Covid-19, the government could not pay teachers without work.

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The health minister had, on Friday, stated during a press conference that government schools are closed and, if the state government is deputing teachers on other duties then, being government employees, they must perform the duty.

After all, he said, the government was paying salary to the teachers though they have no work as schools are closed due to coronavirus.

The teachers also burnt an effigy of the minister and raised slogans against the Punjab government.

The protesters marched towards the bus stand in Khanna raising slogans against the government.

District secretary Daljit Samrala the statement of the minister has exposed the insensitive attitude of the Punjab and Central governments towards education and future plans for disinvestment in the education sector.

He said teachers of government schools in Punjab have been working tirelessly to provide online education to the students on their own.

In addition to updating student data online in schools, teachers are distributing books, mid-day meal ration and funds among students and doing multidimensional duties at quarantine centers, without any facility of PPE kits, he added.