Agitating para teachers in Kolkata taken into preventive

Several para teachers were takeninto preventive custody in the city on Friday as they set outon their march to the state secretariat, seeking salaryrevision and retirement benefits, a police officer said.The agitators assembled at Subodh Mallick Square, andthen moved to S N Banerjee Road, where they went pastbarricades and was stopped by police personnel, he said.As the teachers approached Rani Rashmoni Avenue,without paying heed to the warnings, some of them were takeninto custody.

Several para teachers were takeninto preventive custody in the city on Friday as they set outon their march to the state secretariat, seeking salaryrevision and retirement benefits, a police officer said.

The agitators assembled at Subodh Mallick Square, andthen moved to S N Banerjee Road, where they went pastbarricades and was stopped by police personnel, he said.

''As the teachers approached Rani Rashmoni Avenue,without paying heed to the warnings, some of them were takeninto custody. They were whisked away to Kolkata Policeheadquarters and released later in the day,'' the officer said.

Para teachers, demanding pay parity with regularteachers and other benefits, had been staging a sit-in outsidestate education department headquarters 'Bikash Bhavan' sinceDecember last year.

A member of 'Parateachers Oikyo Manch' (unityplatform) -- which organised the march -- said the agitationwould continue till the demands are met.

''We had staged a month-long hunger strike in December2019. Back then, the government assured us that our grievanceswould be redressed. However, no such thing happened...''Bhagirathi Ghosh, the convenor of the platform, added.