Hundreds of teachers protest in Visakhapatnam over pending demands

Hundreds of teachers affiliated with the Progressive Recognised Teachers’ Union (PRTU-A.P.) staged a protest at the GVMC Gandhi Statue here on Tuesday, urging the government to address their long-pending demands at the earliest.

Raising slogans and holding placards, the teachers expressed concern over delays in resolving service and financial issues affecting employees across the state. The protest drew participation from teachers representing various schools and municipal institutions in the district.

Addressing the gathering, PRTU Visakhapatnam district president M. Srinivasa Rao alleged that teachers’ problems had remained unresolved even two years after the coalition government came to power. He demanded the immediate constitution of a Pay Revision Commission (PRC) to revise salaries in line with rising living costs and sought the announcement of 30 per cent interim relief pending implementation of the PRC recommendations.

He also urged the government to grant exemption from the Teachers Eligibility Test (TET) for in-service teachers, stating that experienced teachers should not be subjected to additional qualifying examinations.

PRTU general secretary K. Nageswara Rao demanded the opening of General Provident Fund (GPF) accounts for municipal corporation teachers and the immediate clearance of pending dearness allowance arrears. He said several teachers were facing hardship due to delays in receiving financial benefits.

Union working president Ch. Durga Rao sought the withdrawal of cases registered against employees during the previous government’s tenure and appealed to the present government to adopt an employee-friendly approach.

The union leaders warned that they would intensify their agitation in the coming days if their demands were not addressed promptly.