By Owais Gul
Srinagar: The SSA teachers continued to observe hunger strike for the second consecutive day on Tuesday to protest against the government for failing to fulfill their demands of implementation of 7th pay commission in favour of SSA, RMSA teachers and masters and delinking of their salaries from MHRD to state sector.
The SSA teachers began their indefinite strike on Monday, announced a week before, urging the Governor led administration to chalk out any concrete plan for the wellbeing of the teachers or else they will go for indefinite hunger strike from Sep 03.
Assembled at Srinagar’s Pratap Park, the SSA teachers have erected their banner reading demands on the wall and are carrying placards reading slogans.
The protesting teachers said that the indefinite hunger strike was organized to register the protest against the ‘step-motherly’ attitude of Govt against nation builders who are protesting since months together for the redressal of their genuine issues.
They said that “the government is forcing us to come on roads to press for our demands.”
The protesting teachers said that implementation of 7th pay commission is legal right of teachers and masters working under SSA and RMSA. They said that the Govt has deprived these teachers and masters from 7th pay commission, which is total injustice with the teachers and masters working under SSA and RMSA.
“Teachers Joint Action Committee is in continuous struggle from last four months and nothing concrete has come out from Govt side except hallow promises that’s the reason that teachers joint action was forced to announce indefinite hunger strike and our struggle will continue till the issues are redressed,” they said.
Earlier on Monday, Advisor to Governor, Khurshid Ahmed Ganai, who is also in-charge of Education Department, appealed to the teachers to not to resort to extreme measures like hunger strikes as the Government has already constituted a Committee headed by Principal Secretary Finance to look into the grievances of teachers, in particular the SSA Teachers.
The Advisor said that despite budgetary constraints, the State Government is earnestly looking for a sustainable solution to the genuine demands of the teachers.
However, the teachers said that they will continue with their hunger strike until the government will come up with any concrete stems for the welfare of teachers.
