SAD slams AAP govt for not hiking Punjabi teachers' salaries

New Delhi, Sep 26 Akali Dal today hit out at Arvind Kejriwal government for allegedly not honoring its commitment of raising salaries of part-time Punjabi teachers in the national capital, saying it reflected its "anti-Punjab" and "anti-Punjabi" attitude.

Akali Dal leader Manjinder Singh Sirsa said a month after a High Court ruling the Delhi government had announced that it will abide by the court orders and had also published advertisements in different newspapers assuring enhanced salaries to the teachers.

He said on May 11, the Delhi High Court had ordered release of enhanced salaries and one year's arrears for the teachers.

"Since then neither salaries of the Punjabi teachers have been increased nor their arrears released even after a lapse of three months," Sirsa, General Secretary of Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, claimed.

He said the affected teachers have been left with no choice but to approach the High Court as the Kejriwal government had committed "contempt of court".

The teachers concerned were planning to move the court, he said, assuring them all possible legal assistance. He claimed that though the Delhi government had declared Punjabi as 'second language' in 2003, yet Punjabi teachers working under the aegis of Punjabi Academy in different schools were given a raw deal by the government.

"Neither the Congress government under Sheila Dikshit nor the present dispensation of Kejriwal have bothered to protect the interests of Punjabi teachers working relentlessly to promote Punjabi in the national capital," Sirsa said, adding, they were being paid paltry salaries.

He expressed shock over the "anti-Punjabi attitude" of AAP government, saying while Kejriwal had denied due status to Punjabi language, he had entered election fray in a big way in Punjab with "wild" promises which he would not fulfil after polls.

PTI