To observe Teachers’ Day as ‘black day’
PANJIM, SEPT 3
Senior retired teachers under the banner of Discriminated Teachers’ Forum on Friday said they would be observing this Teachers’ Day as a ‘black day’ to protest against the failure of the Government to resolve genuine demands that arose due to their pre-mature retirement at 58.
To draw the attention of the Education Minister and the Chief Minister, the teachers with black bands tied on their hands have decided to march to the Kala Academy on September 6, the day of the official function of the Government to felicitate State awardees.
The teachers will meet at the Azad Maidan at 9.15 am on the said day from where they will march to KA to highlight their grievances.
Addressing a press conference, President of DTF Neves Anthony Rebello said they had been forced to resort to this measure because the Government has been only giving them assurances for the last 14 months. We have informed the CM and Education Minister about our morcha 15 days in advance, he stated.
Rebello said they will not allow the CM and Education Minister to leave the venue on September 6 till they announced what steps they have taken into their grievances.
“They’ve been telling us of studying the matter. How long more do we have to wait? Does it take this long to study the matter?” he asserted.
He, however, clarified the ‘morcha’ and the gathering at the venue would be Gandhian in nature. “We don’t want to disturb peace; we only want a genuine solution for our genuine demands. Police presence will not deter us from our agitation,” he mentioned.
Rebello observed the financial implications to meet the demands of 1,019 of them was less than Rs 8 crore. “The Government was willing to spend Rs 100 crore for preparing feasibility reports of unfeasible projects. Compared to this the amount of Rs 8 crore was peanuts,” he lambasted.
The DTF President maintained they would continue to agitate till heir demands were met. “Some of our teachers are nearing 70, but that doesn’t mean we will keep quiet. We will continue to come on the streets till the Kamat Government also explains to us what made his Government revert back the retirement of teachers to 60 from 58,” he mentioned.
Rebello said another thing the DTF wanted to strongly point out was the harassment of teachers by police, especially Porvorim PI Devendra Gad. He alleged PI Gad had filed false cases against the agitating teachers.
He said while senior police officials had given clean chit to their agitation on July 19, Gad had moved to implicate the senior teachers by filing false cases.
The senior teachers contend as a result of their premature retirement they have lost increments of two years, salary arrears, pension benefits and VIth Pay Commission scales.
He has urged serving teachers and the entire teaching fraternity to give support to their agitation.
