Botcha Satyanarayana assures dropping of cases against teachers

Vijayawada: Education minister Botcha Satyanarayana announced that the government would consider the demand of the Legislative Council members and the teachers' unions for withdrawal of cases registered against teachers during agitations for abolition of Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS). The minister responded to the demand made by some Council members on Friday that the government must withdraw cases registered against the teachers. The members said government had booked teachers for demanding scrapping CPS and revival of old pension scheme.

As soon as the Council proceedings began, MLCs Vithapu Balasubramanyam and other PDF members raised the CPS issue and asked the government to withdraw the cases on the teachers. Balasubramanyam said for first time in the history of Andhra Pradesh criminal cases were registered against on the teachers. He said it was not correct to register cases against nearly 4,000 teachers. The members said the teachers' unions have demanded the government to fulfil the assurance given by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy that the YSRCP government would scrap the CPS and introduce the Old Pension Scheme if the party was voted to power. When the angry members continued the protests against the government over cases, the minister for municipal administration Audimulapu Suresh and education minister Satyanarayana tried to pacify the members.

Stating that the YSRCP government was employee-friendly, education minister assured that he would take the issue to the notice of the Chief Minister and consider the request.

PDF members continued the demand and asked an assurance from the minister on withdrawing of cases. Finally, the minister announced that the government would consider the demand of teachers' unions and the members. He said the government has no intension to hurt any employee in the state. Suresh said discussions were held to resolve the issue. The members relented after the assurance given by Satyanarayana.