Punjab cops use water cannons to disperse protesting teachers at Chandigarh-Mohali border

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The North News

Mohali, March 3

Punjab Police on Monday used water cannons on protesting teachers who, in an attempt to march towards Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s residence to press for various demands, tried to force their way through barricades erected at the Chandigarh-Mohali border point.

The protesters were also cane-charged.

Heavy police deployment was made at the Chandigarh-Mohali border point in view of a call given by teachers under the banner of Special Cadre Teachers Front, Punjab, to ‘gherao’ the chief minister’s residence.

Barricades were erected to prevent protesters from moving towards Chandigarh.

During the rally, several teachers, including women, tried to scale these barricades, prompting the police to use water cannons on them.

Anubhav Gupta, a protester, said that turbans of several teachers were tossed off, while a few of them sustained injuries.

Teachers said they had given a protest call to press for various demands.

They said that in 2023, the state government distributed appointment letters to 12,710 temporary teachers, thus regularising their jobs. However, these teachers have not yet received any benefits under these regular appointments.

A nominal salary increase was given while no pay scale was announced, Gupta said, adding that the service rules, which contain financial benefits for regular employees, have not been implemented.

This has dashed the hopes of several Punjab government school teachers, some of them teaching for 15 years, he said.

The teachers demanded that the state government implement the pay scale for the special cadre teachers and service rules.

They also demanded implementation of the old pension scheme, medical reimbursement, group insurance scheme, ex-gratia gratuity, mobile allowance and child care leave.

The teachers also demanded that the retirement age for special cadre teachers be increased from 58 to 65 years.