Police lathicharge protesting teachers in Bathinda

The protesting teachers, recruited under education guarantee scheme (EGS), alternative innovative education (AIE) and as special trainer (STR) schemes, who were marching towards the Bathinda-Mansa railway flyover to block the road on Saturday, were lathicharged by the police in front of the police lines.

When the teachers, protesting under the banner of Shaheed Kiranjit Kaur EGS, AIE and STR Teachers’ Union, marching towards the flyover, the police tried to stop them, but many of them crossed the barricades forcing the cops to use eventually resort to lathicharge.

Sudhir, a protester from Abohar in Fazilka, suffered a head injury while women cops also slapped women protesters. Though, some of the protesters managed to cross the barricades, and blocked road at flyover for some time. The protesters also had altercation with some commuters who objected to road blockade.

The teachers are demanding regularisation of their services. A group of these teachers is also protesting atop a water works tank on the Mall road.

The union leaders said that the Punjab government had assured them that they will be transferred as pre-nursery teachers as the Punjab government has decided to start pre-nursery classes in government primary schools.

“However, despite assurance, no decision has yet been taken in this regard,” said leader of the union, Gagan Abohar Gagan said that road blockade was lifted after the administration assured them of a meeting with chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Sunday in Chandigarh.