Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 6: Up in arms against the Government move of screening all Rehbar-e-Taleem teachers, ReTs across the State today boycotted their duty and locked up their respective schools.
The agitating ReTs also held strong protest demonstrations at district level in front of the offices of respective Chief Education Officers. The protests were organized under the banner of J&K ReT Teachers Forum, which warned indefinite strike from August 18 if the controversial order on screening is not withdrawn by August 17.
Main demonstration was held at Udhampur where a number of ReT Teachers assembled at CEO office in the shape of rally and held a sit-in under the leadership of State president Vinod Sharma and district president Lekh Raj Parihar.
While addressing the gathering, Vinod Sharma said that the High Court had asked to take the screening test of only those ReTs who possess fake degrees issued by fake universities but in light of that judgment, the Government was planning to take screening test of all ReTs and thus disturbing them mentally. “ReTs under SSA are without salary for last several months, MDM dues are pending for last one and half year while regularization of ReTs is pending for the last one year but the minister is passing such remarks to divert the attention from genuine issues of the ReTs,” he said.
At Jammu, provincial president Rajesh Jamwal, senior vice president Younis Rahi and district president Subash Chander led the protest demonstration of ReTs at CEO office. They shouted slogans in support of their demands and against the Minister.
At Kathua, district president Mahesh Kumar led the protest of ReTs at CEO office while at Samba, the protest was held under the leadership of district president Rajeshwar Singh, and others.
In Reasi, the protesting ReTs under the leadership of district president Balwan Singh took out a protest rally and then staged dharna outside the office of CEO.
At Doda, district president Sajad Malik led the protest while Gulzabir Din, district president led the protest demonstration at Ramban. Similarly at Poonch, State general secretary Najam Jafri led the protest demonstration and said that time has come to teach a lesson to those who were defaming the ReTs.
At Rajouri, State chief spokesperson Naresh Sharma and district president Manzoor Khan led the protest while at Kishtwar, the protesting ReTs staged dharna under the leadership of district president Tahir Masood.
Similar protests were held in Valley and schools were locked up.
Meanwhile State executive body of the Forum has decided to hold State level protest demonstration at Jammu on August 18 if the Government order of screening all the ReTs is not revoked by then. If the order is not revoked, all the ReTs will go on indefinite strike and assemble at Jammu for a combined protest, the Forum announced.
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