Contractual School Teachers to Protest Before Bihar Assembly

Patna: Lakhs of contractual school teachers on Wednesday announced that they would protest in front of the Bihar Assembly on Thursday (July 18) demanding salary on par with regular permanent teachers working in various government schools in state.

Bihar Rajya Sikhshak Sangarsh Samanvay Samiti leader Amit Vikram said over 2.5 lakh contractual teachers will shut all schools across the state on July 18 and will gather in Patna to stage a protest before the Bihar Assembly in support of their seven-point charter of demands.

Dozens of school teachers’ associations in Bihar have extended support to the call given by Samiti, he said.

Another leader of Samiti, Rajesh Ranjan, said the state government’s attitude towards contractual school teachers was not only ‘step-motherly’ but also is ‘revengeful’.

”We have been raising our demand of equal pay for equal work and protesting against the state government apathy to our rights but the government has been using different measures to suppress our voices”., said Ranjan.

He said after the Supreme Court’s decision in favour of the state government in May this year, thousands of contractual school teachers in Bihar were gry and have even threatened to go on strike.

Setting aside the Patna High Court judgement, the Supreme Court refused to regularise jobs of about 3.5 lakh contractual teachers in Bihar.

In protest against this verdict, many contractual school teachers – also known as Niyojit Shikshak – threatened to launch a protest after the summer vacations.

“Contractual school teachers have no option but to take to the streets to protest against the Nitish Kumar-led government. We will plan a phase-wise agitation for our demand of equal pay for equal work,” he said.

The state government had challenged Patna High Court's order, which had ruled that contractual teachers in government schools were entitled to salary on par with permanent teachers in various government schools in Bihar.