CHANDIGARH, Feb 12: Nearly 1,124 teachers and pensioners of Punjab State Aided School Teachers and Other Employees Union courted arrest here to protest against the alleged discrimination of the Punjab Government towards their demands. They were arrested under Section 107/51 of CrPC. Among those arrested were 484 lady teachers.The demands of the teachers include the implementation of the third pay commission scales for drawing teachers, PTI's, clerks and Class IV employees ; fourth pay commission scales, D.A., interim relief, HRA, medical allowance; grant of pensionary benefits to aided school pensioners in accordance with the recommendations of fourth pay commission; rural area allowance for employees of village schools; benefit of leave rules at par with the government school teachers and other employees among others.
The protesting teachers staged a demonstration at the Sector 17 Plaza. They raised slogans against the Punjab Government and demanded quick implementation of their demands. Later, they marched to the Housing Board Chowk in Sector 17 and courted arrests. Manohar Lal Chopra, general secretary of the union, stressed upon the fact that it was the bureaucracy in the Finance department that was misleading the government.
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