18,000 teachers block national Highway for one hour; police to lodge FIR

LUDHIANA: Nearly 18,000 teachers of ten different unions across the state have blocked the National Highway 1 at Ludhiana-Jalandhar Bypass on Sunday evening. The one hour long blockade left the commuters harried and traffic at half. Importantly, the police had to use force and mild lathicharge to stop teachers from blocked the national highway.

With various demands, including regularisation of contractual staff, starting pension for teacher under Sarav Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and to oppose the change in transfer policy which states that teacher posted on station for more than seven years would get transfer- the teachers starter gathering at grain Market near Ludhiana-Jalandhar Bypass around 10AM on Sunday.

The teacher staged peaceful protest till 4AM however when no representative from local administration turned up to listen their demands, the teachers blocked the highway.

Later when the Deputy Commissioner Of Police Ashwani Kapoor reached on spot, received the memorandum and fixed a meeting of teaches with the Chief Minister Punjab Captain Amrinder Singh.

The DCP Kapoor said, "We have got the meeting of teacher union fixed with the CM on April 2."

Further officials confirmed that the police will lodge an FIR against agitators for blocking the national highway.