Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara : Evaluation of Intermediate Exam answer- books remained paralysed at both the evaluation centres: S B College and Town School, Ara, for the fifth consecutive day on Sarch 19, 2017, with teachers of affiliated unaided colleges boycotting the work in support of their demands.
With contractual teachers joining hands with the unaided colleges, the agitation gained momentum on March 19. Under the banner of Vit Rahit Shiksha Sanyukt Sanghursh Morcha, about 1,500 unaided college teachers and contractual teachers from Bhojpur, Buxar, Patna and Rohtas districts performed ‘hawan’ and raised slogans against the state government. They staged dharna and shouted slogans at both the evaluation centres. Their main demands include pay parity of teachers of affiliated colleges with the teachers of constituent colleges, regularisation of service, abolition of contract policy, payment of pending salary for the last five years, creation of at least two post in each subject at Intermediate level, payment of evaluation work done last year, introduction of Service Code.
The agitating teachers said that the government had promised to release funds for unaided colleges. However, no financial assistance has come from the government. They said that they had been putting their demands before the state government for the last 37 years but to no avail so far. They said that if the government did not concede their demands, they would boycott evaluation work of matriculation exam as well.The teachers forced the examiners to boycott evaluation work at Town School and S B College evaluation centres.
Directors of Evaluation centres said that the evaluation work would be affected and lead to delay in publication of results if the deadlock persists. Officials in these centres said that they had informed higher authorities about the agitation.