‘Teachers’ demand being considered’

Education minister Anandi Patel said the state government is conducting negotiations with representatives of the union of Gujarat State Academic Co-ordination Council Committee to consider their demands and end the indefinite strike of secondary and higher secondary teachers.

Earlier, Congress and BJP members slugged it out in the House trying to project themselves as the champions of the teachers’ cause. The Congress forced two adjournments raising slogans and thumping their desks. Congress MLA Subhash Shelat argued that it was he who first sought permission from education minister Anandi Patel to raise the teachers demands in the House, the minister said in fact it was BJP MLA Atmaram Patel who had first approached her.

Speaker Dhiru Shah said as per the procedure the member, after seeking permission from the minister, should also inform so that he is aware that the issue is being raised. Agitated Congress members raised slogans such as Shikshako ne nyay aapo and disrupted the proceedings of the House after Mr. Shelat said he had been to the Speaker’s office but he was unavailable at that time.

BJP MLA and GIDC chairman Purshottam Rupala said the Congress was not interested in representing the teachers problems or else they would desist from creating scenes and instead participate in the discussion and give constructive suggestions.

Mr. Rupala said he is ready to give up his right to speak and let the Congress represent the problems of the teachers. Ms Patel informed that she had talked with the members of the committee in Gandhinagar on Wednesday while making the statement in the House on the subject. She refrained from divulging the details of the talks as it were in progress.

The minister termed the strike unwarranted as the government has agreed to meet all the demands of teachers. She said that the teacher’s demand includes, relaxation in 20 per cent cut of recruitment of teachers in secondary and higher secondary schools, payment of conveyance allowance and to implement pay scale as per guideline laid by the Centre.

"The government has already accepted to lift 20 per cent cut on recruitments. We have also decided to give conveyance allowance to teachers from 2001 and the government has formed Agyani committee for their third demand and its recommendations are under consideration, she added.

However, the Congress chief whip Naresh Rawal alleged that the government accepted similar demands earlier but they have not been implemented. BJP MLAs Purshottam Rupala and Gordhan Jhadafiya also raised the point that education of students should not be affected by the strike.

Republished from The Asian Age