Police Saturday used force to foil the protests of teachers who tried to march towards Director School Education Kashmir’s office from Sher-e-Kashmir Park here.
Jammu and Kashmir Teachers’ Forum had organised the protest for their demands and opposing the recent decisions of the department.
Led by Employees Joint Action Committee president Abdul Qayoom Wani, the protesters shouted slogans against the education department heads.
A large contingent of policemen was deployed outside the protest venue to thwart the protest.
The agitating teachers marched from the Sher-e-Kashmir Park toward DSEK office but police foiled their march and dispersed them by bursting tear smoke shells and spraying colored water.
Most of the teachers from other associations stayed away from the protest. These groups showed their resentment against Wani’s making uncivilised remarks against Director School Education Kashmir, Dr Shah Faisal.
Jammu and Kashmir General Line Teachers Forum (JKGTF) had appealed government employees to boycott the protest call given by trade Wani which was meant to “sabotage the reforms and initiatives started by Director School Education, Shah Faesal”.
The demands for which the teachers forum was protesting include stopping of screening test of ReT’s, handing over the department to bureaucrats, stopping screening of distance mode degree holders, implementation of transfer policy on ReT’s, stop violation of transfer policy, regularization of SBM KGBV and gender coordination’s, release of pay to SSA, SBM, RMSA and NPS, removal of pay anomaly in clerical and Master grade, implementation of minimum wages Act on contingent paid employees, abolish in-charge system in the department and regularize in-charge officers of education department.
However, ReT association stayed away from the protests and have supported the director education.
Earlier, Wani said the protesting teachers were pressing for their demands.
He said the government should fulfill their demands till February 13, else they will protest outside Raj Bhawan in Jammu.
The authorities had sealed the road leading to DSEK and remained under thick security blanket throughout the day.
“We sealed the road leading to DSEK to thwart the proposed protest march of employees who were supposed to march towards Education director’s office here at Samandar Bagh from Sher-e-Kashmir Park,” a police official  said.(Agencies)