Jharkhand Police use tear gas to disperse teachers demanding pay raise

Ranchi: Police on Saturday used tear gas and mild lathi-charge to disperse hundreds of assistant teachers who attempted to lay siege to Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence to press for their demands, an official said.

The teachers gathered at Ranchi’s Morabadi ground in the morning with the intent of gheraoing the CM's house. Their demands included ‘equal pay for equal work’ and ‘status as government employees’.

"Assistant teachers are getting Rs 17,000 to Rs 23,000 currently. Our demand is equal pay for equal work and status of a government employee," said Vikrant Jyoty, an assistant teacher.

He said as per the new pay scale, cumulative salary of an assistant teacher should be around Rs 45,000. "We are demanding implementation of the new pay scale," he said.

He claimed that police used tear gas and also resorted to lathi-charge to stop them from approaching the CM's house.

Meanwhile, a delegation of assistant teachers met state education minister Baidyanath Ram over their demands. The minister assured them to raise their issues with the chief minister.