Teachers in Ludhiana protest over unmet demands in Chandigarh

Government teachers in Ludhiana are organizing a protest in Chandigarh tomorrow. About 250 members of the Democratic Teachers' Front (DTF) plan to travel to the state capital to voice their concerns. DTF district president Daljit Singh Samrala criticized the Punjab government for not fulfilling its promises. He stated that the rights of three lakh employees and pensioners have been ignored for over three years. A key demand is the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS). Samrala pointed out that the government has failed to reverse cuts made by the previous administration. He mentioned that 37 types of allowances for employees were reduced, and the current government has implemented a partial pay scale for those hired after July 2020. Teachers who are not on exam duty will take leave to attend the protest. Union leaders are also worried about the government's plans to privatize education and close schools due to low student enrollment. They highlighted issues such as the loss of transfer location choices for teachers, the lack of a pension multiplier for retirees, and the chief minister's refusal to meet with them. "Despite several talks, the government has not acted on our demands," said Harpinder Shahi, a DTF leader. This has led teachers to escalate their protests.