Hyderabad: Private teachers seek pay for lockdown period

Hyderabad: Protesting against lack of any support from the State government, private school teachers, who have not been paid salaries for almost nine months since the lockdown, held a protest at Indira Park on Sunday.

Around 500 private school teachers from across Telangana staged a 'Maha Dharana' on Sunday. "We are in desperation, as we are not receiving salaries since April. It is very difficult to cope up with our daily needs. Many times we have requested the State government to give minimum Rs 10,000 every month. Several times we have requested the state government to think about the plight of private teachers as we are facing hardship for past several months. Fed up apathy we decided to stage protest," said M Laxmi, a private teacher at Moosapet.

"For the past nine months around 90 per cent of teachers have been not getting salaries, you can just imagine their plight. Some 21 teachers across Telangana have already took their lives. Only 5 per cent of teachers are being paid, that too only 50 per cent of their salary. At least now the state government should think of private teachers, " said Shabbir Ali, state president, Telangana Private Teachers Forum (TPTF).

"We demand that salaries be paid including arrears since past 9 months or at least state government should come to the rescue and give minimum Rs 10,000 every month. Also ensure implementation of other benefits," said T Kalpana Rao, a private teacher at LB Nagar.