RAIPUR: Lambasting the agitating contractual teachers (Shiksha karmis), who are on a statewide strike, the Chhattisgarh government on Thursday issued an ultimatum and asked them to resume work in three days or face action.
As many as 54 thousand schools across the state are reportedly affected owing to the strike since Monday by nearly 1.80 lakh teachers.
Irked over the teachers’ protest that hampered the ongoing academic session of schools, the state government issued an order citing that the services of those shiksha karmis who fail to comply within the given deadline will stand terminated.
The government claimed that the agitating teachers are making an “undue demand” and are not willing to understand and resolve the issues amicably.
However, the teachers remain adamant on their demands.
On Sunday, the representatives of shikha karmi held a meeting with the chief minister Raman Singh and demanded equal pay for equal work, seventh pay commission implemented for them, regularisation of the contract to government service job on the compassionate ground, among others. As the meeting with the chief minister remained inconclusive, shiksha karmis launched an indefinite strike the following day.
“After every strike, the government comes up with such ultimatum. It will not have any impact on our protests. We will not get deterred or compromise”, said Virendra Dubey, coordinator, Shikshak Panchayat Nagriya Nikay Morcha, a forum representing the teachers on strike.
Meanwhile, the departments of school education and the panchayat have asked all collectors and chief executive officers of district panchayats to ensure the schools remain open and the studies of students not get affected by working out some alternative mechanisms.