Teachers appointed by school management committees in Himachal Pradesh have issued an ultimatum, stating that if their services are not regularized by January 25, they will embark on an indefinite hunger strike starting the next day. The School Management Committees’ Teachers Union, led by President Sunil, emphasized their longstanding demand for regularization and highlighted a previous protest held outside the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat in October last year. Although the teachers had suspended their protest after receiving assurances from Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and the formation of a cabinet sub-committee, no action has been taken to date.

The union is pressing for the regularization of services similar to the Parent Teacher Association (PTA), Primary Assistant Teachers (PAT), and PARA teachers. They specifically called on the government to address their demands by January 25, coinciding with the statehood day. Approximately 2,500 teachers appointed by school management committees are currently working in remote areas of the state. Despite meeting the minimum qualifications, these teachers lament that the state government has regularized temporary teachers hired over time but has neglected to address their situation.

In the event that the government fails to meet their demands, the teachers have threatened to escalate their protests, including class boycotts and staging demonstrations at the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat.

Source: PTI

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