These women teachers hold Karva Chauth for protection of pay scales, job security

A group of women teachers in Patiala have got "Punjab Sarkar Murdabad" written on their hands with henna on the occasion of 'Karwa Chauth' as their protest for regularisation of their jobs without a pay cut entered its 21st day on Saturday. The teachers, under the banner of Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha, have been holding a sit-in protest at Patiala, the chief minister's constituency.

"Karwa Chauth day is meant for long life and well being of husbands but today we are observing Karwa Chauth for the protection of our pay scales and job security," said Anu, Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) teacher. "This is our way to register protest against the Punjab government on Karwa Chauth," she said.
The teachers are against the state government's decision to fix their monthly salary at Rs 15,000 during probation period for regularisation of their jobs.

"How will we run our lives with a big salary cut? The government must withdraw its decision of giving Rs 15,000 per month to teachers who are going to be regularised. We want full pay scale," said Navjot Kaur, a teacher from Barnala. On October 23, the protesters met CM's Chief Principal Secretary Suresh Kumar and Officer-on-Special-Duty Sandeep Sandhu regarding the issue.

They were assured of a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on November 5 to address their issues. At present, contractual teachers are getting Rs 42,300 per month. On October 3, the Punjab cabinet had given its go ahead to the regularisation of the services of 8,886 teachers recruited under the Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), as well as in adarsh and model schools.

However, those whose services would be regularised in school education department would be paid Rs 15,000 for three years.