Para-Teachers Demand Wage Hike in West Bengal Protest

On Tuesday, para-teachers in West Bengal staged a five-hour sit-in protest, demanding higher wages and better benefits. The protest took place near the state education department headquarters, drawing around 500 members affiliated with the 'Sangrami Sikshak Mancha', a platform for para-teachers.

The demonstrators marched from Karunamoyee in Salt Lake but were halted near Bikash Bhavan, the department's headquarters. They jostled with police personnel and sat on the road, insisting on a meeting with Education Minister Bratya Basu, who was reportedly unwell. Subsequently, a six-member delegation was permitted to discuss demands with Principal Secretary of Education Binod Kumar.

The delegation pressed for increased wages, seeking to raise their monthly pay from the current average of Rs 9,000-10,000 to at least Rs 15,000. They also demanded relief from election responsibilities akin to regular state government staff. Currently, more than 50,000 para-teachers serve in over 67,000 schools in the state.