Andhra Pradesh: Teachers resolve to wage a united struggle against Centre’s privatisation policy
The Hindu
STFI leaders express concern over rising inflation, call for effective measures to contain it
Leaders of the School Teachers’ Federation of India (STFI) on Sunday resolved to put up a united fight against the privatisation policy of the BJP government at the Centre. They also called for effective steps to restore communal harmony in the country.
Addressing the valedictory of the three-day national conference of the federation, Surajit Majumdar from Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) said the economic policy introduced in 1991 had ruined development of the country. The government’s claim that wealth and jobs would be created if the private sector was allowed freedom was proved wrong.
Referring to the unveiling of the four-year National Monetisation Pipeline (NMP) worth an estimated ₹6 lakh crore by the Centre with a claim that it would unlock value in brownfield projects by engaging the private sector, transferring to them revenue rights in the projects, and using the funds so generated for infrastructure creation across the country, Prof. Surajit said the move would facilitate privatisation of the public sector units.
He said, in the organised sector, employees and workers had not been given wage hikes in the last 30 years, and the number of jobs had also shrunk. To address this crisis, teachers across the country should wage a united struggle, he said.
Addressing the meeting in the online mode, social activist Teesta Setalvad accused the BJP government at the Centre of “misusing the power given to it by the people of the country.” She said the Centre was functioning in gross violation of the Constitution, and social justice was being given a quiet burial.
Federation’s national president Abhijeet Mukherjee, general secretary C.N. Bharati, secretaries P. Babu Reddy and N. Aruna Kumari, United Teachers’ Federation president N. Venkateswarlu and general secretary K.S.S. Prasad were present at the seminar.
The Madras High Court on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, rejected a plea by former special Director General of Police (DGP) Rajesh Das to restore the electricity service connection to a bungalow in Thaiyur near Kelambakkam in Chengalpattu district, and to restrain Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) officials from disturbing the power supply in future.
The Madras High Court on Tuesday, June 11, 2024, permitted Anna University to deposit, in three monthly instalments, an amount of ₹73.23 lakh before the Central Government Industrial Tribunal (CGIT) as a condition to hear a statutory appeal preferred by the varsity against the Coimbatore Regional Provident Fund (RPF) Commissioner’s order to pay dues to the tune of ₹2.44 crore to contract employees.