SSA and RMSA office staff union observed a pen down strike

Bathinda, October 21
The Sarv Shiksha Abhiyaan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyaan (RMSA) office staff union observed a pen down strike against the state government today. They suspended office work at the district and block-level offices.


The union leaders said on August 25, Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, Education Minister Sikandar Singh Maluka and higher officials of the Education Department had convened a meeting with the union members wherein the CM had directed the officials of education department to ensure that the office staff of the SSA and RMSA schemes were paid salaries at the scale of the teachers.

After the meeting, the department had prepared a file to grant regular pay scale to these employees, which had a budget of Rs 16 cr, including 65 per cent contribution of Centre Government and another 35 per cent of the state government. The union members alleged that now the state government was unwilling to contribute its share against which the union had raised its voice.

They said while crores were being spent to host events like the kabaddi cup, the government was dilly-dallying over paying Rs 5 crore, which could change the lives of 1,400 families.

Employees on agitation included Sandeep Kumar, Sher Singh, Nanpal, Raminder Singh, Kulwinder, Satvir Singh, Nidhi, Deepika, Rajni Rani, Rita Rani and others.