Tripura government school teachers on warpath

Agartala, Dec 8:  In a bid to save their jobs, 10,323 Tripura government school teachers, who are set to lose their jobs on December 31 following a Supreme Court verdict, launched an agitation from Friday.

Altogether 150 teachers on Friday started a blockade of the tiol highway and the lone railway line for an indefinite period at Sindhukumar Para in northern Tripura’s Dhalai district.

“We will continue our road and rail blockade until our jobs are confirmed by the government. We know the people of Tripura will face hardships due to these blockades, but we are also helpless,” the agitating teachers’ spokesman Uttam Kumar Dey said.

A large number of police and Tripura State Rifles personnel have been deployed in the blockade areas. Many vehicles and some trains carrying passengers and goods remain stranded at these locations. The agitating teachers are, however, divided over blocking movement on the tiol highway and the lone railway line, as a majority of them feel this would cause immense problems and inconvenience the people of the State.

On Thursday, around 1,000 teachers held a demonstration in front of the state secretariat and later met Education and Law minister Tapan Chakraborty, demanding a halt to the termition of their jobs. Chakraborty, during the 90-minute meeting, told the delegation that the state government had filed a petition before the Supreme Court, urging it to extend the termition deadline for one more year.

“The government is sympathetic towards the agony of these government teachers. We are exploring various legal options and considering suggestions of the legal experts including senior lawyers of the apex court to save the jobs of these teachers,” Chakraborty said.  He said the Supreme Court will hear the state government’s plea on December 11. (IANS)