Teachers working in Chandigarh marched towards the Governor’s House under the banner of the Joint Teachers Association with their demands. The police administration stopped them on the way, and the teachers staged a strike on the road itself. Addressing the protest, coordinator Dr. Ramesh Chand Sharma, chairman Ranveer Jorar, legal advisor Arvind Rana, and general secretary Ajay Sharma said that the basis of the new deputation policy is unconstitutional. It has been made without consideration and without consultation with the parents and the state, which they oppose.
They mentioned that the gathering was to demand the cancellation of the deputation policy. Fixing a time limit for any teacher transferred on deputation from Punjab and Haryana is legally incorrect, and the Chandigarh administration should not and cannot implement it. They argued that the Supreme Court has also acknowledged the unique nature of the deputation of employees from Punjab and Haryana, as they do not receive deputation allowance. Combining them with regular deputation in the new policy is a hasty decision that could create various issues.
The teachers urged the administration to cancel the policy immediately and refrain from setting a time limit on employees coming from Punjab and Haryana. Additionally, they strongly demanded the implementation of the seventh pay commission for contract employees of Samagra Shiksha. The Personnel Department has clarified that the Seventh Pay Commission should apply to contract employees, but the administration has yet to accept this demand. Representatives emphasized that sea leave should be increased, as several times the Joint Teacher Association has demanded. Due to the imposition of Central Service Rules, there has been a significant reduction in sea leave. The association argued that the Administrator has the right to make changes under Article 309 of the Constitution, and they demand its utilization to benefit employees, especially women. Arvind Rana, the legal advisor of the association, highlighted the long-standing demand for arrears for Samagra Shiksha teachers from July 2021 to March 2023.
Although the Central Government and Chandigarh administration have the authority to pay these arrears from the state budget, no appropriate steps have been taken so far. Duty Magistrate Dinesh Tandon discussed three points with the members of JT AK, took the demand letter, and promised to convey the demands of the teachers to higher officials for resolution.