By IANS,
Mohali (Punjab) : Hundreds of teachers from all over Punjab took out a protest march against the state government here Friday.
The teachers had various demands on their agenda, such as renewal of the pension scheme, increase in medical allowance and house rent, fresh recruitment of teachers and promotions of clerical staff.
Agitators broke seven police barricades and raised slogans against Education Minister Upinderjit Kaur and Shiromani Akali Dal president Sukhbir Badal, who is a Lok Sabha member.
“The state government has betrayed the whole teachers community of Punjab. They have not fulfilled what they promised us in their election manifesto,” Gurcharan Singh Chahal, president of Punjab Government Aided School Teachers and Other Employees Union, told IANS.
“The education minister sent us a message in between the rally to meet her. We have refused this offer as we are tired of meeting these politicians and of submitting memorandums to them. Now, we want an official invitation and want the officials of both the education ministry and finance ministry to be present at the meeting,” Chahal said.
“Initially we were protesting peacefully but the police misbehaved with us and seized our vehicle and loudspeakers,” he added.