Teachers protest turns violent in Bihar

Patna, Jul 10: Thousands of temporary teachers in Patna were injured while protesting over a government proposal which turned violent when teachers started pelting stones on Friday, Jul 10.

The situation came under control only after police lathicharged the protesters and used tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, but the situation is still tense and can erupt again.

More than 1.75 lakh teachers, who were hired during Nitish Kumar government in 2006 to fill in the huge gap in the number of primary school teachers, demanded that they should be regularised and paid equally as regular government teachers.

The Centre had agreed to their demand but laid a condition that all teachers would have to pass (45% marks) in an eligibility test to be conducted for the purpose, before they are regularised by the government.

While the teachers are challenging the amendment on the ground that in the initial service condition rules for panchayat teachers, there was no mention of holding a test on the basis of which they might lose their job if they get less that 45 percent marks.

The teachers have infact moved the Patna High Court against the government plans to conduct competency test. That"s why it is still unclear as to why they resorted to violence at this juncture.

OneIndia News