Teachers of govt-aided schools to gherao treasury offices

Disappointed over the alleged non-payment of salaries for last six months, teachers of government-aided schools of Punjab will gherao the treasury offices across the state on September 27.
"We are disappointed by the attitude of the state government towards payment of our salaries which has been pending for the last five to six months.
"Therefore, we today decided to gherao the treasury offices across the state on September 27," Gurcharan Singh Chahal, president of the Government-Aided School Teachers & Other Employees Union (Punjab), said here.
As many as 5,000 members of the Union, including teachers and principals, will take part in the agitation, he said.

Despite the claims by Punjab government, payment of salaries to the tune of Rs 60 crore is pending for the past five to six months, Chahal said.
The government has also not paid Rs 30 crore as the second installment of pay arrears, he said.

A delegation of the Union met senior officials of the Punjab Finance Department here to know the status of their salaries.
"We were not given any time-bound commitment by the officials of finance department towards payment of our salaries, though they said disbursement will be made in tranches," Chahal claimed.
Chahal said that teachers would also take a mass casual leave on October 9 and gherao Punjab Education Minister Sikander Singh Maluka.

There are 484 government-aided schools in the state.