Teachers8217; stir: End in sight

MUMBAI, January 19: For the first time after 39 days of strike by junior college teachers across Maharashtra, School Education Minister S...

MUMBAI, January 19: For the first time after 39 days of strike by junior college teachers across Maharashtra, School Education Minister Sudhir Joshi said, 8220;Some solution will emerge within a couple of days.8221;

8220;The very fact that the cabinet has decided to deliberate over the matter means we have realised that there are some anomalies in the revised pay scale and the government is ready to come to some settlement,8221; Joshi told Newsline on Tuesday.

According to M R Andhalkar, vice president of Maharashtra Federation of Junior College Teachers8217; Organisations, the revised pay scale offered a better deal to secondary school teachers. The federation is spearheading the agitation across the state.

Meanwhile, Mantralaya sources maintained that though the package the state government is considering to offer the teachers does not conform to their demands, it is still quite a sumptuous8217; amount.

When asked, whether agreeing to the junior college teachers demands will prompt a similar demands by othersections of the profession with the parents finally bearing the burden in hiked fees, Joshi said, 8220;We have taken everything into consideration.8221; When asked if this means the government will hold talks even if the teachers do not call off the agitation, he smiled and said, 8220;No, not that.8221; Government sources maintained the teachers will be urged to withdraw their strike in lieu of some settlement.

On Monday, parents of 25 junior college students met at Chhabildas hall, in Dadar. The meet was organised by a Shiv Sena activist Suresh Lad, whose daughter is a HSC student.

8220;We will meet Balasaheb on Wednesday and apprise him of the harm done to our children because of the stalemate over the strike,8221; he said. Asked to explain, he said the government8217;s insistence on first calling off the stir before dialogue begins and the teachers8217; loss of trust in the government has led to this situation.