Computer teachers stage dharna

[sajiv]

Computer teachers stage dharna

MYSORE: Over 100 computer teachers working under the Mahiti Sindhu programme staged a dharna in front of the office of the District Institute of Education and Training (DIET) here on Monday demanding the direct release of salaries from the Government.

They submitted a memorandum to the principal of the DIET addressed to Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa highlighting their demands and calling for an end to the harassment meted out to them by the agencies implementing the programme.

They pointed out that the Government took a decision to introduce the programme in over 1,300 government high schools in the State in February 2001 and entrusted the responsibility of implementing the programme to computer institutes, including NIIT and APTECH. These agencies recruited computer teachers to teach software skills to high school students.

Addressing the teachers, president of the Mysore District Government High School Mahiti Sindhu Computer Teachers' Association C.L. Jagadish said that the implementing agencies had not paid the salary to the teachers for the past three months and despite a direction to increase the salary by 8 per cent every year, had not done so.

Mr. Jagadish alleged that though the implementing agencies had violated the Government's direction by not extending Provident Fund and Employees State Insurance facility as stipulated, the authorities concerned had not initiated any action against them. Though the agencies had deducted , ESI and PF amounts from the teachers' meagre salary, they were not prepared to issue documents showing the deduction, he alleged.